Conquest of the Floating Isles
by MaverickKayPrime
Summary: On the legendary Angel Island, there lays a diamond. A magical diamond with near limitless power. Landing in the ocean, this island is now causing multiple tidal waves which threaten coast lines all around the planet. Shadow and his ally Rouge intend to send the island back from whence it came. But the island's guardian rises to face them, and a defeated foe returns at his side.
1. Rising Conquest

Rising Conquest

"Mmmmffrrwwaaa!" yawned the bat as she trailed into her room.

Her home was large, far larger than your home or mine. A home bought by thousands upon thousands of material, all of which older than she was. She was a hunter of treasured artifacts. If it was beyond age, beyond historical text books, and of course shined brighter than the sun, she was all over it. That was how she made such money, how she lived such a lavish and stylish life.

Inside her silky nightwear, she trailed down the halls of her massive home, exhausted and tired. After a long day of work, signing papers, reading papers, sitting in a cubicle, it felt good to finally come back home.

She was somewhat slow in her steps, making her way up and over to where her television laid. Though it was late – and she'd be going to sleep soon after – the bat couldn't help but to see what her TV had for her. She laid upon the couch and her wings pulled in, while she lazily turned the television on.

"Welcome to DENA News!" the blonde woman on the screen said, flaring life into the dark room, "I'm Mizumi Takekawa, your reporter today, and we are out on G.U.N.'s Letter of Gabriel, far out past the bay of Blue Ridge Zone," she stepped aside, allowing the camera to see an island far in the distance. The bat yawned at the sight, almost missing the flaring 'BREAKING NEWS' lines trailing the top and bottom of the screen, "Do you see this island far in the back? This island _wasn't_ here earlier! Discovered over a month ago, G.U.N. has disbarred anyone from stepping foot on the island until any more information has been gained. G.U.N. believes this island is the cause of the severe tidal waves which have been slamming places all over the world. For now, G.U.N. advises everyone move inland until the tidal waves have ceased."

"Ugggghhh..." the bat groaned as she rolled to her back, her ears bending to the television.

"It's as if this island _fell_ from the _sky_ ," said Mizumi on the screen.

"Fell... from the sky..." the bat commented before closing her eyes.

…

He had learned to master this power. A power unlike anything he had ever felt before. Imagine being able to do everything you could do, only amplified tenfold. No, _one-thousandfold!_ Imagine having near limitless power, with the only limit being your imagination. Gaining such power would be on everyone's mind, would it not? And how lucky this power arrived at this moment; as if right in the nick of time. For, you see, it was as if the world was _punishing_ them.

"Bernie! Bernie!" the blue hedgehog shouted as he pushed open the door, "Bernie! Bernie! Woman! Where are you!?"

The blue hedgehog stared around his home, his verdant eyes trailing up and around the home. Dress in a drenched jacket, he walked into the house with a face full of worry, wondering where his partner was. Hearing the sound of footsteps, his eyes moved to the staircase, where a purple hedgehog in a green dress began to walk from. Her blonde hair was matted down much like his, showing she too had been rained upon. Running downstairs, she stared at him, equally as alerted as he was.

"Jules, are you okay?" she asked in a worried manner, running to the hedgehog as she brushed his brown locks from his face, "Where's Charles? Please tell me everything's okay? H... how's the house?"

"Chuck is fine but the house... it's gone..." he answered, his head shaking too and fro in a less than stellar manner, "It's... almost all of Green Hill Zone is under water, Bernie... and those tidal waves don't look like they're stopping anytime soon..." staring outside the front door, he began to close it as the winds grew too strong, "Urgh! Dammit... few... ya'know..." he turned back to the woman, a smile on his face, "For a moment there, I was worried I wasn't coming back!"

He was met with a slap across the face. Confused by the action, he faced the woman, seeing these tears flow from her face. Then she kissed him; it was the most confusing array of emotions she could have run through at that moment. Holding him in place, she refused to let him go for well over a minute. Even when she pulled away, she remained holding onto him as tight as she could.

"Don't say something like that, Jules!" she stated, showing rage and relief at the same time. Somehow.

"Hey, Bernie... sorry for that," he claimed as he nuzzled her close, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Look, Chuck and I are both alright. It's gonna take well more than a tidal wave to take care of us! I'll be damned if I can be transformed into a robot, then taken down by water! Pssshhht! It ain't nothing!"

"Just shut up," Bernie laughed as she playfully punched him.

"Say... where's Maurice?" Jules eventually asked, his eyes staring around in search for him.

But his wife didn't answer. Instead, her eyes gazed out the window toward the storming skies outside. Jules eventually looked out as well, his head cocked to one side as he searched for what his wife searched for. He eventually walked back to the door and opened it up, stepping into the massive city outside. High above Starlight Zone, mixed with the storms above, a golden flame flew through the skies.

…

The deplorable state of the zone got to the bat. Though usually strong, firm, and without emotion, she let them show now. The many other mobians around, injured, hurt, unable to fight against the changes happening to their world, laid on the wet city streets. Children crying, various amounts of looting and damage, cruelty happening everywhere. This wasn't a fight they could win; one just can't battle against nature.

But she couldn't and wouldn't allow herself to be bothered by this sight. She came here with a job in mind, especially after his original location no longer existed. Bridge Zone was in ruins thanks to the water displacement; he would be wherever his family was.

Wings flapping, the white furred bat flew toward an apartment complex which stood far beyond the city streets. Her quest took her into a part of the city which looked mixed with an industrial complex. With the city being overrun with those who once lived on the coastline, many were relocated to areas once thought uninhabitable. To one of these parts of the zone did the bat fly.

She landed upon a catwalk, her eyes lining doors and homes. Reaching into her overall's pocket, she pulled out a piece of paper. Written upon it in mechanical print, the numbers '346'. Teal eyes running along doors, she read the numbers accordingly, before finally coming across '346'.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

The door opened slowly, revealing a purple hedgehog with blonde hair on the other end. She stared at the bat, and the bat stared back. Both of them, eyeing one another closely. That is until the hedgehog snidely said,

"Oh... _Rouge_..."

"Hi, Bernie," the bat replied with her usual sultry voice, smiling at her as she crossed her arms, "I see the tidal waves haven't been to kind to South Island," her face slid into a gaze of sympathy, "I... I apologize for what happened to your home, Bernie. I mean... all of Green Hill Zone is just so-"

"Save it Rouge," the hedgehog said as she stared around Starlight Zone outside, "You don't have to try and be civil. Be honest; you're here for Shadow, aren't you?" the bat nodded, finding no point in hiding it, "He's outside the city, at a Chao pond he frequents with the family pet..." grabbing her doorknob, she began to push it close, "You should find him there..."

"Bernie," Rouge called once more, making the hedgehog stop, "Where's Jules?"

"He's at Green Hill Zone. Helping as many people as he can..." she continued closing the door, "Praying another tidal wave doesn't come..."

 _CLASP!_

When the door slammed shut, the bat turned to face Starlight Zone once more. It was weird ya'know? Just over a few months ago, she and her ally was able to liberate all of West Side Island single-handedly. The odds were stacked so hard against them, yet they pulled out a victory through determination. But for what? Almost as soon as victory had been achieved, this island fell from the sky. And when that happened, tidal waves start slamming into each major coast in the world. As if this island was _attacking_ them.

But she knew this was affecting no one more than her friend. The stoic, aloof, usually emotionless hedgehog she had come to know as her ally. This island, South Island, was his home. Where he grew up. To have it be constantly bombarded by powerful tidal waves must have hurt him in a way she didn't know.

Her wings opened, allowing her to descend slowly upon the land. Stepping onto green grass, the bat's teal eyes stared around to the land. She was actually quite surprised to see a place not marred by watery destruction or saddened faces. Instead, this small pond was littered by the smiling faces of the cutest little creatures on the planet.

Small, blue, with large eyes and fairy like bodies, they were the Chaos. Everyone knows what they are, though very few know where they come from. Some say aliens, some say angels from the heavens, others just say cute little pets. And, yeah, the latter is what they _really_ are.

"Chao, chao!" said the Chao as they played and frolicked in the lake, only to hover around the bat as she approached them.

She patted their heads, rubbed their faces, made little kissy faces, all while she approached the pond. Standing on the very edge, her teal eyes stared to the center. To which she saw _him_.

His back turned to her, she couldn't see his face. But she could see his jet black fur. Quills that owned red stripes. Gloves that were white and red, with golden rings around their wrists. A body that stood tall against everything. Chao floated to the center of the pond to visit him, and he pressed upon their heads. They seemed to find hope in his presence. They seemed to find hope in this darkened hero.

In the blink of an eye, an stone rose from the pond. It was green, and shined as brilliantly as the sun. This stone was joined by another one, a blue one. Then another, a light-blue one. Another one, a white one. Another one, a red one. Another one, a purple one. And a final one, a yellow one.

The hedgehog rose his hands and curled them into fists, while his body lurched over. These multicolored diamonds began rotating around his body, spinning at too great of speeds to quantify. The hedgehog's black and red body began to glow, while his quills started pointing skyward. What once was black slowly began to turn gold and yellow. The pond's pristine waves began to grow turbulent. The wind around the hedgehog began to howl. And in spite of all this, the Chao played and danced.

"HA!"

 _FOOOOSH!_

Water from the pond ripped into the sky as a pillar, causing the bat to cover her eyes. The hedgehog in the center of the pond was no longer black, but instead a golden-yellow color. He no longer stood in the pond, but instead floated above it. His quills jutted up, and his entire body exuded power. The Chao flew to him then, playing around him, laughing, giggling. They weren't put off by his near god-like power, instead entranced by it.

And then his head turned. He looked over his shoulder toward the bat, revealing his stern face. Eyes a powerful burning red, he glared at the bat behind him. And she gazed back.

"Hey! Shadow! Having fun with the Chaos Emeralds!?" Rouge shouted as she waved her hand at him.

He rolled his eyes at the bat, before flying down to her. Landing upon the ground before her, his show of power died off. Golden-yellow fur turned black once more, while every bit of his super transformation vanished. The seven stones he used to transform stopped their brilliant shine, as they instead fell to the ground.

"Rouge..." Shadow said as he crossed his arms, "What brings you here?"

"Mmm...? Really asking me that, _Maurice?_ " she asked, making him snarl.

"I regret my parents ever telling you that..." the hedgehog growled back, his eyes peering down upon her, all the while she giggled.

"Lighten up, Shadow!" she said as she poked his chest, "I'm only playing. Considering what's happened to South Island, I think a little laughter is something you need..." she grew a tad bit sympathetic then, "Shadow. I went to Bridge Zone... I saw what happened to your house. What's... left of it, anyway."

"Doesn't matter..." Shadow replied, shrugging off his own home like it was nothing, "I wasn't focusing on the Bridge Zone anyway. I was trying to stop the tidal waves from destroying my parent's home..." he then looked at the bat, eyes softening, "Now, back to my earlier question; why are you here?"

"We're after the same things, you and I, Shadow," Rouge claimed as she walked to his side, "I'm pretty sure you know by now. About that island that's suddenly appeared. The one which is causing all of this. Well... when a tidal wave attacked Blue Ridge Zone, I and many other G.U.N. agents left to—"

"G.U.N.?"

"I've already told you about G.U.N., Shadow. Stop acting like this is the first time you've ever heard of it... anyway, I came across _this!_ "

Suddenly the bat pulled out a ring from her pocket. It was like any other ring one would find on mobian territory, being golden and perfectly round. But there was something about this ring that was far different from any other ring Shadow had seen before. Picking up the ring, he noticed it was rougher than the others. Lacking a perfect curvature, this ring appeared to be marred by age, wear, and tear. But there was something on the inside of the ring, Shadow could see words. Words he didn't understand.

"This... what is this?" he asked as he looked at the bat.

"It came from that island, I know it..."

"How?"

"Simply because the island landed so close to Blue Ridge Zone... think of it; an island that fell from the sky! Who knows what kind of goodies lay on it, if it was able to cough up this ring. It's so old! If it was a diamond, I'd consider adding it to my collection!"

Shadow ignored that last bit as he instead squeezed the ring in his hand. It was unlike any other ring he had collected. Those mystical golden bands that are so uncommon. They do something to him that he simply can't explain. That same mysterious power seemed to exude from this ring as well. But...

"Just imagine what's on the island, Shadow!"

"I don't care for any of that," the black and red hedgehog replied as he looked at the bat, "I care about putting that island back from where it came!... Wherever that is, anyway..." he tossed the ring back to Rouge who caught it, "Where is this island, anyway?"

"What do you plan on doing, Shadow?" the bat asked, her smirk appearing as usual, "Gonna fly to where that island is and use that new fangled super power of yours to punch it into the sky?"

"Don't patronize me," Shadow growled, "I haven't seen any of those humans doing much to stop the tidal waves. They protect themselves, and I protect these islands as best I can..." he looked at her, "Why haven't you and your G.U.N. done anything about the island yet?"

"Oh, so _now_ you remember G.U.N., huh Shadow?" she asked, taking a jab at him, "Listen, we're doing the best we can. And it appears as if you're doing as best you all can as well. I've heard from a lot of people how you keep fighting tidal waves. Must take a lot out of you, huh?"

"Going super really helps," Shadow claimed as he opened and closed his hands.

"How does it feel, by the way? Is all that training good for you? Is transforming even good for you?"

"None of that matters..." Shadow claimed, his voice solemn, "But... what does that ring say, anyway? Can you even read it?"

"Oh, this old thing?" the bat replied as she ran her eyes through the ring's engraving, "Chaos created Angel Island... hm..."

"Hm? Is that all?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah. Look, Shadow, it's just one ring, and this ancient print is large. I can tell you it's echidna, however. And you know, echidna mobians have been extinct for eons. Ever since the fourth great civilization vanished from the planet, echidnas just went extinct. I guess the men couldn't keep _it_ up, if you catch my drift, heh!"

"Hm... Angel Island... and echidnas..." looking away, Shadow couldn't help but to think back to Hidden Palace Zone, "I wonder..." then he thought about that orange echidna, "Tikal..."

"Tikal? What's that?" Rouge asked.

"Nothing..." Shadow answered as he finally uncrossed his arms to walk off, "So... where is this 'Angel Island'?"

"Like I said, off the coast of Blue Ridge Zone. Luckily for us, it fell in the middle of the ocean and not somewhere else. Lord knows what trouble we'd be in – hey! Hey! Shadow! Where are you going!?"

"Where do you think I'm going?" the black and red hedgehog answered as he walked over a hill. On the other side of said hill, there laid a red and white vintage-style biplane, one with the name 'MARIA' written upon it in white. The vehicle stood pristine on the grassy knoll, looking untouched despite the turbulent island all around it, "I'm going to Angel Island."

"I'm not really surprised your beloved Tornado survived everything that's going on," Rouge said as she looked the plane up and down, "You made sure to save it, didn't you?"

"Enough talking, and enough fooling around, I'm going to this 'Angel Island', and I'm going to stop it from causing all these tidal waves!"

He was just about to turn the Tornado on, when Rouge placed her hand on the dashboard. Looking up to the bat who flew to land on his plane's engines.

"Shadow... don't mean to be rude buuuuut... do you even _know_ where Blue Ridge Zone is?"

He opened his mouth to answer her question, but was hit with silence. To his own surprise, he actually didn't know where Blue Ridge Zone is. Was it near Neo Green Hill Zone? Could it be near Pumpkin Hill Zone? He had no idea where it was.

"Duuuuuhh..."

"'Duuuuuhh', you're right!" Rouge said, finger wagging in his face, "Besides, G.U.N. has the island on pretty hard surveillance until we're sure what's going on there..."

"Good thing my friend is a G.U.N. Agent..." he then put his finger on the ignition, "Where is it, Rouge?"

"You really are going to this Angel Island place, aren't you?" the bat asked, eyelids sliding down, "Like... seriously? And what do you plan to do when you get there, Shadow? Just use a large Chaos Control and _hope_ it goes where you want it to go?"

"That's a thought... but I won't know until I get there, Rouge. So, please, help me find Angel Island or get off my plane so I can find it! I don't have much time before another tidal wave comes flying out of nowhere..."

"Listen, Shadow," said the bat as her hand dropped upon his hand, "If _we_ are going to Angel Island, then I'm doing the flying!"

"Who said anything about 'we'?" Shadow asked, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

"I did, and unless you can convince an entire G.U.N. fleet to not shoot you down, I think it's best you let me do all the piloting!"

"For some reason," Shadow commented as he pulled out of his plane's cockpit, "I can't help but to think you're in this for _another_ reason..." he climbed upon his biplane's wings then, while the bat got in the cockpit, "Remember, Rouge, our mission is to simply put this island back where it came from! Wherever that is..."

"Yeeeaaaaaaah, I'll _try_ to humor you," the bat said as she flipped the ignition of the biplane, causing the propeller to start spinning, " _Buuuuuuut_ , if while we're there we do come across something interesting, do you mind if I have my fill?"

"Rouge..."

"Okay, okay! Jeeze Shadow, you're so unfun!"

Pressing her foot on the gas, the bat caused the plane to fly along the green fields. Chao that were intrigued by Shadow and Rouge saw them off as they drifted into the sky, while few joined them in the air. When the bat and hedgehog finally pulled free of the zone, they took a quick course redirection for Starlight Zone.

Flying high above the zone, many stared up to the biplane owned by their hero. It was a sign of hope for those who were displaced by the tidal waves slamming into their home. A sign that all of this was going to stop soon enough.

"Bernie, I'm back," Jules said as she walked through the door, somewhat wet, though dried thanks to the walk back home.

The blue hedgehog gave a sigh of relief as he removed his wet jacket, throwing it to the ground. From the kitchen, his wife appeared, smiling at him. She walked to her beloved and kissed him, only for the howl of an engine to echo far above them. Gazing out the window, the two watched as a certain red biplane flew through the air.

"Well it's about time!" Jules claimed, "What's for dinner?"

"Jules!"

…

The Tornado barreled through the ocean waves, gliding calmly above water as it rushed through the air. The Black Wind stood on the wings of his plane, arms crossed, eyes close, entire body in deep contemplation. He was going over in his mind what he should do about the island, and how to stop the constant tidal waves attacking the world. There had to be an answer to all of this.

"Alright! There it is!" Rouge's voice cried from over the engine, making the hedgehog open his eyes.

Just ahead, there laid an island. And it was _grand_. So grand, should it even be called an island anymore? More like an entire _country_. This 'island' was easily larger than the entirety of South Island, and even West Side Island; being twice the size of _both_. It's large mountains stretched high above the skies, and from this distance the hedgehog could see temples, waterfalls, and other signs of ancient life. A variable island of endless life; one untouched by outside hands. Clearly, the name 'Angel Island' was a befitting one.

"It's beautiful..." Rouge commented.

"CIVILIAN!" a roar suddenly echoed from above, "YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHLY RESTRICTED AREA! TURN BACK NOW!"

The warning came from above. Gazing up, there hovered a large airship. Adorned with G.U.N. insignia, it was clearly one of the government's newest air fleet models. Rouge was just about to open her mouth in order to speak back the ship, and even turned the biplane to get closer, when another call echoed beyond even her's.

"Rouge!" Shadow yelled, "Pay attention!"

She looked at the hedgehog, watching as he suddenly grew incredibly serious. Fists tightening, the hedgehog's eyes were locked on Angel Island before them. Suddenly, a green shimmer occurred from the entire island. Rouge cocked her head at the sight, stunned that she actually saw so. From this green shine, the water around the island began to rise. And then, a deafening roar.

 _RRRRRREEEAAAAAAARRRRRRR!_

A shock wave echoed from Angel Island, and a tidal wave rose high. Rouge, stunned by the sight, quickly began to pull up on the plane to dodge such an attack. But the tidal wave was far too large to dodge in their short window of time. The G.U.N. airship which called out to them had enough time to pull to safety, but they were right in the lion's teeth.

"Give me a second," Rouge said as she readied to activate the Tornado's jet engine, "I've got this!"

"No time!" Shadow answered, "Besides, that tidal wave's just going to keep going before it crashes somewhere else! I've got this!"

Shadow balled his hands into tight fists, and started to let loose a subtle growl. Around him, the seven Chaos Emeralds appeared. Not wasting time, the hedgehog's body suddenly turned a golden-yellow. Exploding with power, he flew off toward the tidal wave heading his way. His entire body surged with power, and he pulled back his arms. Now face to face with the wave itself, the golden Black Wind slammed is hands together in a mighty clap.

 _THOOOOM!_

The mighty action triggered a powerful sonic boom which sent the tidal wave sky high. Creating a perfect gap for the Tornado, Shadow continued to fly toward Angel Island with Rouge right behind.

…

"They've gotten through..."

If the echidna was stunned, he sure didn't show it. His eyes, peering into the mighty green stone before him, saw the image of their biplane landing on his island's beach. He grunted at the sight, growled too, but took a calming deep breath. It was expected of them to get close. After all, they held the _Chaos_ _Emeralds_. And for the longest time, he thought there were nothing more but legends.

The first trap laid out by his island's defenses had finally been broken; an outsider has stepped foot on Angel Island. With it on the ocean's surface, he felt vulnerable. There was no telling what could happen with island in its current state, and the thought of that _demon_ running amok on his island only made things worse.

"So... has your guest arrived yet?" a stern, overbearing, older voice called from down the chamber.

"Yes... he's arrived, just as you said he would," the echidna replied, hand curling into a fist, "And he does indeed have the Chaos Emeralds."

"I'm not surprised by this assessment... such a shame; my welcoming committee is running a tad bit late. Do you mind paying him a visit? As you may well know, he owns the Chaos Emeralds, and only you know of their secrets."

The echidna nodded before turning to face the mighty Emerald sitting before him. Caressing it just a bit, he felt himself being invigorated by his mission. The footsteps behind him grew in sound, before finally stopping to his right. The red echidna looked up and over, seeing a grown human man, with small glasses, in a brown formal suit, and a most magnificent mustache. The doctor smile.

"You must get going, Knuckles," he said, "I don't mean to alert you, but our dear friend is a demon in every sense of the word. He won't hesitate to take the Master Emerald if it gives him the power he seeks," suddenly, the man flared a blue color, revealing his image to be false, "I shall be waiting at the onset of the zone for you."

And in the blink of an eye, he vanished. The red echidna stood in the chamber alone then, his purple eyes trailing back to the rock before him. Closing his eyes and leaning in, he looked as if he were praying. But then he pulled back and nodded.

"I will protect you, Master Emerald... I will..."

Then he ran free of the area, dashing to meet his new opponent.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Woo! Man! Feels like forever since I've last wrote a fanfic. But here I am, back again, with this! A sequel to The Conquest of West Side Island. I felt like I had to write this one. After all, TCWI ended on such a major set up for a sequel, I found it virtually impossible to not think of a continuation. Besides, Sonic 3 comes after Sonic 2. I mean, duh. How was I not going to write this story?_

 _Anyway, here's Conquest of the Floating Isles. And we already begin with turbulence. For those who haven't read the first story, you'd be rightfully lost. Here's a brief recap, if you're too lazy to read the last one._

 _Anyway, this is a series in which Shadow and Rouge replace Sonic and Tails in the classic Sonic games. Shadow defeated and liberated South Island from Robotnik, saving his family and gaining the six Chaos Emeralds. Thanks to that, the seventh Chaos Emerald was revealed in West Side Island. Years later, Shadow and his ally Rouge make way for West Side Island, only to find the island is uninhabited, and Badniks are everywhere. Shadow and Rouge fight through West Side Island together, collecting the Chaos Emeralds, and searching for the Hidden Palace Zone to locate the seventh Chaos Emerald. Only, Dr. Robotnik has already collected the seventh Chaos Emerald, and with its power created the mighty Death Egg. After launching the Death Egg into space, Dr. Robotnik prepares to take over the planet. But Shadow invades the Death Egg, and after unlocking the power of seven Chaos Emeralds, is able to destroy the Death Egg, and Dr. Robotnik._

 _Or so he believed._

 _Anyway, that's pretty much a good recap. But there's still a good bit I left out that you may need to read about. So I recommend - for all your newcomers - you read at least first and last chapters of The Conquest of West Side Island. Ya'know, just to get a feel for things. But now I digress..._

 _So we've started out Sonic 3. Get ready for it! This is gonna be a long one!_

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	2. Celestial Island Zone

Celestial Island Zone

The Master Emerald. A mystical rock it is. In many different ways, it works. It changes, it pulls, it works forces on our lives. Most don't even know it exists, despite the pivotal role it plays in the world. Many forces have attempted to use it. It's a vessel of infinite power, after all. For as long as the world has been alive, those echidna's have watched over it. Why? No one knows. They just do it. Maybe its a curse by the gods. Yes, they __must__ look after it. Or else.

Purple eyes opened. Something was amiss. Slowly getting to his feet, this red being glared toward the glowing green rock before him. Something crashed here, something large, big, and powerful. Through out the entire zone, he could feel a quake which rushed through his very core.

He stood to his feet, eyes glaring left and right. The sanctity of his home had been challenged for the first time in his life. His heart raced at a thousand beats a minute; nearly giving him a heart attack from fear alone. All his years of training, all his years of learning, all of his years of solitude was finally about to pay off.

Knuckles the echidna stood tall. He glared straight forward to the mighty pedestal which held a jewel larger than any jewel before. It was perfect in its size and cut, and its shine gave light to the entire room. Staring at the mystical stone, the red echidna could see images within. A large egg, deep inside the island's largest lake.

He turned and ran quickly, rushing down the hall. He ran down the blue-green ruins of the mighty zone, heading straight for a chamber separate from the rest. This chamber led to various other rooms, all of which he remembered like the back of his gloved hand. Heading to one on his left, he ran into a room with a single device. It was weird; a silver stand with a red sphere in the center. Stepping into the sphere, a bright white light engulfed him.

He felt himself being thrown somewhere. All of time and space flew around his body, though he stood still like usual. The bright shine, zero-gravity feeling, the way his body felt as he was being thrown somewhere; it's enough to give a lesser being a headache. But when it was all over, he was somewhere different. Gone the ruinous halls, instead replaced by endless green glass.

The echidna walked through the green groves of grass and bushes, before coming across a pristine lake. And right out there in the lake, a large black sphere. Smoke flowed from it, while it laid in the deep body of water.

What was this monstrosity that challenged his sacred home? He had never seen anything like it. None of his history tomes spoke of such a thing, none of his people's prophecies foretold of such a thing's coming, nothing he learned from his father said anything about an egg appearing in the lake. But if he had one thing to say – something that made the most sense to him – he'd go as far as to call the egg...

"Chaos..."

…

The golden Black Wind gazed down upon the island, now floating directly above it. His breathing was somewhat rapid, while his super charged body hovered in the air. Burning red eyes sliding up, he stared to the massive island before him. He was like an ant in a kitchen. Even in his transformed state, he wondered if it were possible to traverse the entire island in only one day.

 _VRRRROOOOOOM!_ The howl of his biplane echoed above him, making him descend.

The Tornado performed an expert turn, avoiding the jungle foliage below and instead landing calmly upon the beach. After parking, the pilot turned the engine off. He drifted near the plane, his eyes on the white-furred bat inside. She stared at him and he stared back, before nodding some silent command.

Suddenly, what was gold on his body turned black. His god-like power vanished, as he ceased floating and instead fell to the ground. At the same time, the bat he conversed with leaped out of the plane to land on the beach beside him. They said nothing, though traded glances with one another. Then in unison, the duo stared to the jungle directly before them.

"Wow..." Rouge mumbled, in complete awe of the island, "I... I never thought it would be so... _big_. I mean, it was from the outside, but on the inside..."

"We're not here to sight-see," Shadow said as he walked ahead, "I'll be back in a second, Rouge. Make sure the Tornado's secure..."

"But wait," _ZOOOM!_ "Ugh... Shadow..."

The Black Wind skated at sonic speeds through the forest, blasting through with the wind howling around him. His red eyes moved left and right to the blurring zone around him, taking note of everything.

Suddenly skidding to a halt, he came to a cliff overlooking a mighty waterfall. Shadow stared up to the zone, feeling completely awed by the region. It was unlike the zones on South Island or on West Side island. Not a single soul stirred within the zone, save for various animals who weren't mobians. Even a few flickies and cuckies jaunted around in the zone. An island untouched by outside hands. This forest was nature at its purest.

The Black Wind shook his head however, feeling he had spent far too much time enjoying the scenery. So far, everything felt completely normal, save for the complete lack of any intelligent life other than animals. There appeared to be no immediate danger, and also no immediate answer to his dilemma.

 _The servers are the seven Chaos..._

Shaking his head, Shadow suddenly put his arms over his face in an 'X' manner. In a flash, the seven Chaos Emeralds appeared around his body. They began twirling around Shadow's body at rapid speeds, while his ebony fur turned gold and yellow. Eyes opening, those ruby eyes flared like flames.

"HAH!"

 _Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart._

His body transformed, he was now Super Shadow. The hedgehog started to levitate beyond the zone, while his body surged with power. Gazing down to oasis he came upon with the mighty waterfall crashing above, Shadow began to charge his powers.

 _The controller is the one that unifies Chaos_.

He turned a green color as his powers were maximized, and he readied a grand scale Chaos Control. He didn't know what to do, and maybe he was being a tad bit premature with his actions, but his mind was set. A Chaos Control unlike any other, one strong enough to teleport an entire _island_ somewhere else. He wasn't even sure if such a thing was possible, but it was time to test this theory.

 _Only you can do this!_

But then, something hit him.

 _Stop the Chaos Emeralds! CHAOS CONTROL!_

"URGH!?"

Shadow's eyes grew wide, as he felt a powerful jolt rocket through his body. It felt like a green bolt of power ran through his body, while his pupils grew small. All the power he had gained left his body in a flash, and he fell to to the earth upon his back with a mighty _SMACK!_ The hedgehog groveled on the earth, pain running through his entire body. Now Shadow was exhausted, and extremely confused.

"What the hell?" he remarked as he struggled to his knees, red eyes on his arms, "But? I was super? What happened?" gaining enough strength, Shadow was able to get onto his feet, "Where are you!? I know you're here! Show yourself now!"

Despite being forced to power down and feeling in a weakened state, Shadow felt more than capable of taking on whoever did such a thing. He rose his fist in a battle stance, and eyed the forest he arose from. His eyes constantly moved around in search of his foe, completely dumbfounded by his situation. His attacker was around.

 _CRACK._

Actually, his attacker was right under his _feet_.

 _POW!_

The ground suddenly exploded, sending rocks and dirt sky high. At the same time, a red blue flew from the ground. Shadow pulled back, right as a rock struck the bottom of his chin. The blow threw him back and nearly sent him over the edge of the cliff, but he quickly recoiled. Shaking his head from the dazing blow, the Black Wind stared ahead to his assailant.

His vision was blurred between being weakened and hit, but he could make out something. His foe was tall, red, and muscular. Long dreads hung from his head, and they swayed with his every movement. His body held various markings on it, all of which were white and very _Mayan_ looking. His hands were covered in gloves much like many mobians, But these gloves of his were large, and with spikes on its knuckles.

The Black Wind gasped at the sight, though he quickly hardened himself for battle. There was intelligent life on this island; a mobian in fact. But this mobian looked unlike any mobian he had ever seen before. He would say, this red one looked a lot like the spirit he met in Hidden Palace Zone. And that's when it hit him.

He was facing an _echidna_.

His enemy clenched his fist, causing them to flare green briefly. Then pulling back his arm, the echidna delivered a devastating punch to the ground beneath his feet. The earth-shattering blow sent ripples through the ground, and destroyed the cliff Shadow stood upon. The hedgehog fell into the massive oasis below, only for his blur to suddenly leap into the sky.

"I'll put you in your place," Shadow growled as he pointed the palm of his hand toward the red echidna, "CHAOS SPEAR!"

And _nothing_ happened. No, wait, something did happen. Nothing but a plume of smoke came from his palm.

"What the?" the Black Wind bemoaned as he stared at his hand, not paying attention to the red echidna flying his way.

Imagine being hit by a _train._ That much force, coming that fast, slamming right into your chin. It was a killing blow, had it stricken anyone else. Shadow's entire body rumbled, while his mouth slammed shut. In mid air, his body was sent reeling back. And all of light fell from his body, basking him in darkness.

 _SPLASH!_

…

"...adow... Sha... adow... Shad... ow... Shadow... Shadow...! Shadow..! Shadow! Shadow! Shadow! SHADOW!"

"Huh!? Wha?"

He quickly pulled up, only to fall back with his arms on his head. Clenching it tightly, the ebony hedgehog roared from sudden pain. Right then and there, he was suffering from the worse headache ever to plague his head. His brain rumbled in his skull, which causing him to nearly spasm with pain. Using brute force and will power, the hedgehog was able to quell his thumping brain, but not without a few audible growls.

He looked over his shoulder, his red eyes meeting teal. Rouge was there at his side, showing considerable amounts of worry for him. All around them, the zone was bathed in a nighttime hue. The stars twinkled above, and the moon gazed upon them through the clouds. Suddenly, Rouge expressed a sight of relief, and her face softened.

"Thank goodness you're okay," the bat said, her eyes checking his face, "You must've took quite a whalloping... I mean, just look at you."

Her hand pointed to the river beside them, and Shadow crawled over to check it. Eyeing his reflection in the river, he could see he had taken quite a bruising. His face was already bandaged thanks to Rouge, but he didn't really care that much about it.

"Rouge," he said as he faced the bat, "What happened?"

"You tell me," the bat said, "I wait out there near the tornado for _hours_ before I finally get the nerve to come searching for you! Then I find you at the bottom of some waterfall, unconscious with your face beaten! You should be telling me what happened! Did you fall or something?"

"No!" the hedgehog growled, eyes glowing as his rage spiked, "I was out here, no, up there, then I went super and..." he checked his fingers, "And then, this _echidna_ attacked me!"

"Echidna!?"

"Yeah! Aren't they extinct!? That echidna attacked me, and somehow... I think he turned off my _super_ _state!_ "

"Now that's impossible, Shadow," the bat said, "When you go super, you're invulnerable to everything! I mean, you fell form space as a super and it didn't kill you, so how could someone – let alone a species that's _extinct –_ take away your super? I swear..." she then pointed at him in a teasing manner, "Did you really just fall in here and hit your head? C'mon Shadow, are you embarrassed and are just playing with me?"

The hedgehog glared at her, eyes down in a powerful scowl. Rouge kept teasing him, only for something to hit her. It was stupid of her to think Shadow was playing with her. Why? Because Shadow _never_ plays games. He was attacked, his super state stolen from him, and all by an _echidna_.

"Well... uh..." the bat said as she scratched her head, "Then... why don't you transform and start flying for him?"

"Good idea!" the hedgehog said as he struggled to his feet – nearly falling over as he did so.

He curled his fists in and started to focus his energy, calling upon the Chaos Emeralds to aid him. But as he did so, the stones never appeared. The seven emeralds of ultimate power never once teleported to his side like they usually did. After a minute or two where he attempted to summon them, Shadow found himself falling to his knees. And then, another bombshell fell on him.

"Shadow... something wrong?" the bat asked as she walked to him.

"Rouge..." he said as he looked over his shoulder to her, "The Chaos Emeralds are gone!" he looked back at his hands as he stood to his feet, "That... echidna _took_ the Chaos Emeralds from me!"

Rouge said nothing, instead gasping at Shadow's statement. The hedgehog checked his body just to make sure the Chaos Emeralds weren't on his person, before realizing his fears were true. If he didn't have the Chaos Emeralds, then surely that echidna – whoever he was – had them.

For the first time in his life, the Black Wind felt utter defeat. And he _hated_ it.

"Urgh! When I get my hand on him, I'll-"

"Shadow!"

"What?"

"Shut up and look up!"

He did as she said, gazing toward the canopies of the trees ahead. Matching with the night sky, the two mobians could see a fleet of dark blue machines flying above. Shadow cocked his head in confusion at the sight before turning to chase them. He zipped through the woods with Rouge behind him, following the machines as they went beyond a massive tree. Noticing a hole in said tree, the duo ran inside to see it was hollowed out on the inside. There was an exit higher up in the hollowed out tree, one they could reach.

With sonic speeds, Shadow and Rouge were able to scale the wall by constantly running up in a spiral up the cylindrical tree. They came out the exit of the tree onto a plateau which led into a cave. Heading into said cave, they were stunned as the wind howled in the area.

Staring up, both mobians watched as one of those blue machines descended to meet them. It was larger in size than the both of them, with thrusters keeping it afloat. Three pipes sat on its head side by side, and a it owned a nozzle on the front like a nose.

"Rouge," Shadow said as he eyed the machine, specifically the small 'head' it owned, "What is that...?"

"I haven't the slightest clue... it doesn't look like any machine G.U.N. has in its arsenal..." she stepped back, "And... it doesn't even look like it fits on this island..."

"Heh, doesn't matter..." Shadow commented with a smirk, his hand cackling with power, "I _really_ need to destroy something right now. It'll help me blow off some steam!"

He dashed for the machine, when it's nozzle spewed fire upon his body. Surrounded in it, he used his Chaos powers to project a shield around his body. Meanwhile their mysterious foe pulled back, and the pipes on its back opened up. Shadow and Rouge watched as from these pipes, _missiles_ flew out. So they weren't pipes, but instead rocket launchers.

 _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Shadow and Rouge scattered as the machine they faced fired rocket after rocket, all of which aiming to fall on them. The two mobians dodged the explosions, while the Black Wind's hand cackled with power. Facing the machine, his powers formed and orb in his hand which he pulled back.

"Chaos Spear!" he shouted as he fired a blast of pure Chaos energy toward his enemy.

It flew with deadly accuracy, ready to sever the machine in half. Only for...

 _PLINK!_

… The blast to be deflected.

Shadow grew wide eyed at the sight as his Chaos Spear was flung harmlessly into the distance. Time seemed to slow for Shadow at that moment, while his broad eyes peered at the machine. His Chaos Spears could destroy _anything_. There was only one force capable of fighting back against his blast. Machines created by a very specific _doctor_.

"SHADOW WATCH OUT!"

"OOF!?"

Suddenly tackled to the ground, he narrowly avoided rockets poised to set him ablaze. Rouge gazed down on Shadow as she gave him an annoyed expression, only for the hedgehog to suddenly roll atop him. His body started to emit dark colors, which expanded in a shield atop both of them. This shield protected them from the _hundreds_ of rockets which fell soon after.

The two laid like that for a few minutes, before Shadow's shield diminished. Breathing a hard breath, he gazed down to the bat below who hung close to his chest. She looked somewhat scared by the surroundings, but quickly calm down as he pulled back.

"You okay?" Shadow asked of his ally, who nodded.

"Yeah but... it's a tad bit _hot_ in here and... _bright?_ "

They looked away together, seeing the entire zone was now on fire. All the beauty the zone once held was gone, replaced by a blazing inferno resembling the gates of Hell. Shadow began to sweat from the heat of the fire, before facing the cave on the other end of the plateau.

"What was all that?" Rouge asked, "I mean, who did this? The island is..."

"I have an idea..." Shadow growled, "But first... let's keep chasing them down!"

Suddenly running for the cave, Rouge followed. The duo rushed through the cave as fast as they could, coming to a waterfall on the other side. The crashing waves hid platforms within, which constantly appeared through the rushing waves. Gazing up, Shadow could see the machine they faced move to a higher plane. Scoffing, he began leaping between the platforms which appeared in the water, making his way up higher the waterfall in chase.

When he suddenly slipped from a watery stone, Rouge grabbed his hand. She pulled him up to a cliff where safety laid and gave a small smile. He nodded, before quickly grabbing her and dashing out of the way. Right as he did so, a grey object fell to the ground and exploded. The two mobians gazed up to a tree, where a monkey was. But, no, it _wasn't_ a monkey. Blue and silver, with large eyes, this monkey was a _machine_.

And it looked _incredibly_ similar to the coconuts that once occupied Emerald Hill Zone.

"OOK! OOK! OOK!" the machine laughed before it threw another one of its exploding rounds at them.

Shadow and Rouge dodged the next explosive coconut, while the hedgehog charged one of his signature blasts. Hurling at the machine, he destroyed it with one blow.

"Okay, this is looking _far_ too familiar," Rouge said as she stared at the smog of the Badnik before, "Like... almost a repeat... Shadow? What are you doing?"

He ignored her, instead walking to where the Badnik's caucus laid. Reaching down into the pieces of discarded armor, he pulled out a small animal. It was weak, injured, and pained beyond understanding. But relief flushed over it, as it was freed from its horrifying hell. Clutching the animal close, the Black Wind growled. But his growls diminished seconds later, as he turned to face Rouge.

"I don't even know why I'm so surprised. Like, seriously," he stated, "I kill him once, he comes back again. I kill him again, and yet he returns. And now, here he is _again!_ " his moment of calm quickly vanished as he turned a burning red, "Every single time! EVERY SINGLE TIME!" the zone began to quake as his rage spiked, "HE JUST DOESN'T DIE! HE JUST! DOESN'T! DIE!"

"SHADOW!" Rouge yelled at him, making his eyes lock on her position, "SHUT UP!"

He was still anger – and would continue to be angry – but his words had its affect. Shadow's burning aura dissipated and his demeanor shifted. Now instead of being incredibly angry, he was just super angry. Guess you couldn't really tell a difference, huh.

"I'm going to kill him..." Shadow said as he continued on his path, "I am going to _slaughter_ him!"

Rouge remained behind as Shadow started running through the blazing forest. Flapping her wings to blow away smog which threatened her, she soon after took off to follow Shadow. The two ran through the burning zone as fast as usual, quickly coming across a series of Badniks. They were blue and like worms, and all hovered above the ground.

But Shadow didn't care. With just a few swipes of his hand, he sent blast down that destroyed them. Instead, he focused his attentions on the machine which they chased. It eventually vanished deeper into the forest, its path being blocked by a sudden blazing tree which fell in Shadow's wake. It was a large tree, and easily decimated the section of forest they ran through. The hedgehog shook his fist, enraged by his stroke of bad luck before his ally tapped his shoulder. He looked to her and she looked back. With a wink and a nudge, she grabbed his hand and flew skyward with him in tow.

"Keep an eye out for him," Rouge said as they hovered above the inferno, "I can keep you up here as long as you like."

Shadow put his hand flat against his eyes and stared around for the machine in question, just in time to catch it. The machine zoomed through the forest below, dashing at great speeds. Shadow's entire being turned blue then, as he began flying on his own. Rouge was confused, as he instead held her bridal style. With a sudden snarl, he was off.

 _KERPOW!_

He flew for the machine at high speeds, with the world blurring around them. Hand reaching out, he could just grab the machine, only for it to suddenly vanish. Taken aback by this, Shadow came to a sudden halt. His powers vanished around him and he landed safely on the ground with Rouge in his arms. Putting her down, the two stared around the burning meadow in search for their foe.

"It's somewhere around here," the hedgehog claimed as he gazed around, "Somewhere... I can here it... eh?"

Together, they leaped away. Rockets fell on their position, causing an explosion. After safely dodging the strike, the duo gazed up to the canopies around them, watching as a machine descended upon them. The very same machine from before.

The 'Fire Breather' hovered just above the ground, it's optics beaming down on the two mobians. Both got ready for a fight as they readied themselves for battle, when the machine they squared with spewed fire from it's nozzle. The flames doused the area before it, causing Shadow to roll to safety. Quickly countering with a spear of chaos, his blast was deflected. It was a simple ruse however, for with a mighty axe kick, Rouge struck the machine.

The attack sent it flying back, while Shadow landed. Putting his hands apart, he started to charge up another blast. Meanwhile, the Fire Breather shot rockets from its launcher. Rouge ran to strike the machine, while it's missiles fell on Shadow's position. However – with amazing concentration – the hedgehog was able to send the rockets flying elsewhere.

Rouge struck the machine's side with a sobat. The move – while fast and weak – was strong enough to deter the machine's aim to set Shadow ablaze. It quickly pulled back, where it spewed flames upon Rouge next. She leaped away from the attack and flew above, all the while the Black Wind's charge reached its climax.

"Heh, heh, heh," he chortled, voice somewhat demonic, "Doctor... I know you can here me. If you thought this tin bucket was enough to kill us both, you were sorely mistaken. So here, take this. A gift from your enemy, who has become far stronger than you could ever imagine! CHAOS SPEAR!"

Shadow put both hands together, their palms together. His entire body exploded with a golden hue, before he sent a spear of absolute power careening the machine's way. His blast ripped through the Fire Breather's body, causing it to detonate rather quickly. The force of the explosion sent Rouge back, though she landed safely upon her feet.

With the fight over, the bat stood tall. Her eyes glanced over at Shadow soon after, who was walking ahead with a cocky smile on his face. He then stopped at the Fire Breather's body and kicked its shell, only to look at Rouge shortly after.

"Didn't even break a sweat," he commented. Rouge merely rolled her eyes.

 _Shadow and Rouge have completed Act 1_.

…

He stared out the window toward the hell raging beneath. Many would wilt from such destruction, most would cower in it. Most would condemn such a sight, and turn away from it. But this man in his brown suit, white shirt, and red tie, gazed down to it from out his front window as if it were business.

The doctor slid his finger along a brooch on his shirt, one that held an insignia which resembled his face. His fingers then moved up to his mustache, where he stroked it so. A smile came to him then, and soon after a chuckle. Settling his glasses on his face, his eyes flared a burning red.

To his side, a woman walked to him. She was tall, blonde, and with wonderful blue eyes. In a black business suit, she held a silver platter with a cup of wine sitting upon it. She stood near the man at her side and grabbed the cup, then handed it to him. He took said cup, placed it to his lips, drank the substance within and smiled.

"Ahhh... thank you, Maria," he said as he gave the cup back, "I couldn't have asked for anything better."

"Don't mention it, Ivo," the blonde giggled, "But thank you nonetheless!" her eyes eventually traveled to the window, and they stared out together, "Knuckles will be displeased with what you have done to the zone. How do you plan on finding the Master Emerald now?"

"Knuckles will believe what I tell him to believe," the man said as he placed his arms behind his back, "Besides, his purpose is complete. Shadow no longer has the Chaos Emeralds, and I need not fear that power he used to drop the Death Egg..."

"More wine?"

"Yes dear... Knuckles already believes Shadow to be a demon – thank you Maria dear – so he will continue to fight against the nuisance... mmfff... ahhh! Maybe he'll get lucky and kill Shadow. Though, I highly doubt it..."

"He was capable of overpowering him before. Why don't you just set the two up to fight one another again?"

"Nien..." the doctor commented, "If Shadow and Knuckles clash, the echidna will surely _die_. Sure, Shadow my fall as well, but I cannot risk Knuckles dying. I need him to find the Master Emerald, and whatever chamber it lays within. I need only for them to occupy each other's time while I search for the Master Emerald. For now..." he smiled, "Maria, ready the Egg Mobile-F. I think I will meet with my old friend."

"Yes Ivo... though... if I may," she stared at his face, "Shadow will be alerted to your presence. And the battle he's had with Knuckles will subside as he focuses his main attentions solely on you."

Ivo smiled at the statement, one which felt so natural and of course evil. Then he chuckled, and soon after laughed. There was something about that question which made the doctor's spirit rise. Something about facing his old foe which ignited his passion. Or maybe he was just plane _crazy_. Who knows?

Honestly? Who knows?

"Maria, you are to run the Flying Battery until my return. See to it my business is complete in my absence."

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik. Enjoy your time out."

The man in the business suit parted ways from the woman, instead walking to the chair in control of the area. After sitting upon it, he pressed a button on its arm rest, causing a glass dome to seal him inside. After, he pressed another button, causing a hole in the floor to open. Then he dropped in.

…

 _VRRRRRRROOOOOOOORRRRRRRR!_

"What was that?" Rouge asked as she walked to her ally.

Their eyes moved up to the burning night sky together, watching as a mighty airship flew through the sky. It was unlike any of G.U.N.'s airships, being in a completely different style. No, this aircraft looked more like an actual ship, and not the streamlined battleships G.U.N. employed. This more classic style of airship was mainly hidden by the clouds above and smog as well, but they could still see it.

"The doctor's up there..." Shadow claimed, turning away as he did so, "Let's go greet him..."

Shadow started running, and his air shoes ignited. Taking off in chase of the mighty airship above, he had Rouge right at his side. Their unrelenting chase brought them to a cave, and on the other side of the cave laid a long plain. It too set ablaze, yet wide and spacious with its burning grass.

Above them, the airship appeared again. Shadow and Rouge stared at it together, while its deafening roar howled all around them. Suddenly, the two noticed a pair of holes off the bottom of the ship. And from these portholes, bombs fell.

 _BAM!_

"Okay! Time to move!" Shadow yelled as he grabbed Rouge's hand, suddenly bursting forward with speed. The two ran through the fields as fast as they could, with bombs falling directly behind the. The ground rumbled and quaked as it was bombarded with explosives, causing Shadow and Rouge to move in zig-zag patterns to dodge them. He'd skate forward, pull back, jump up, slide down, and yet there appeared to be no ending in sight.

"Wait! Over there!" Rouge shouted as she pointed to the forest, "We can escape through there!"

Shadow nodded as he gripped Rouge's hand, flying toward the burning forest at amazing speeds. They just narrowly dodged yet another bomb sent their way, before slipping into the forest. Gazing skyward toward the massive airship, she watched as it drifted away into the clouds.

 _WHIRRRR! WHIRRRR! WHIRRR! WHIRRR!_

"What is that...?" Shadow commented as they ran through the burning forest, that eerie sound echoing through the woods.

Their quest eventually brought them over a rickety bridge. Gliding over it, they came to a cliff side which jutted out from a waterfall. Shadow and Rouge came to a stop them, their eyes lining the area around them. Unlike the rest of the blazing zone, this area seemed untouched by fire. Maybe it was thanks to the waterfall rushing over everything, or perhaps just the zone's own magical touch. It was hard to tell.

"Now what?" Rouge asked as she looked at Shadow, gasping for breath in their moment of calm, "What do we chase next, huh Shadow? Because... we don't have anything else going for us at this moment."

"Not now, Rouge," Shadow stated, "We have to find that echidna... wherever he is..." he stood up straight and gazed around, "He may have had a head start on us but... he couldn't be that hard to find. After all, he has all seven Chaos Emeralds; I should be able to sense him with ease..." _SPLASH!_ "What... was that...?"

Shadow and Rouge looked to the bridge they arrived on, where they saw a cannon jutting out. It was a dark blue, and sat there with its barrel aimed straight their way. Slowly after, the rest of the machine pulled its body from the waterfall. Large in size, it could easily crush the both of them under its body. Smooth and spherical, this dark blue machine had two cannons on each side.

It levitated over the bridge, slowly, eerily, _demonically_. Then the cannons it owned flared red with life. Shadow and Rouge got ready for a fight, when the cannon shot flames on the bridge below. Burnt asunder, the machine made it impossible for them to return from where they came. Or perhaps it was a show of force.

 _SPLASH!_ The machine quickly returned into the waterfall, vanishing.

Shadow and Rouge tracked its shadow, watching as the machine glided beneath the water. Then it returned before them, on the same plan of grass. Hovering above the two mobians, the machine slowly slid down. The water cascading down its body eventually cleaned out, and the glass bubble covering the top became clear. And once it did, his face pulled up.

"Hello, Shadow!" Dr. Robotnik laughed.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _So here we are! Chapter two of this grandiose tale! Well, soon to be grandiose._

 _Trying to capture the magic of Angel Island Zone proved to be difficult, honestly. I mean, I have it in my head; the perfect imagine of a perfect forest. Gushing waterfalls, amazing sights, pure beauty all around. And then it all goes to hell partway through the first act, and everything's on fire. It's a zone I love, and was the first zone ever for me. I mean, Sonic 3 is the first Sonic game I've ever played, and quite possibly the first game I've ever played, but I guess I could be wrong._

 _I wanted to get everything in this zone. From the first boss fight to the second one, and some of the Badniks between. But I could only squeeze in the Fire Breather, and only the beginning of the first fight. I suppose I could've made the chapter longer and fit everything in it, but I didn't want the second chapter of the story to be insanely long. Even if it's a sequel._

 _Man, I really wanted to fit the RhinoBot in here somehow._

 _So, yeah, this story's gonna be longer than the last one. With how long zones can be in Sonic 3 and Knuckles, its gonna be difficult to fit it all in one chapter that's 5k+ to 6k+ words long. So maybe I'll make two part long zones? Who knows!_

 _And, just so you guys know, expect some surprises when it comes to zones in this story. I intend on using all zones from Sonic 3 and Knuckles. What does that mean? Well..._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	3. Hydro-Metropolis Zone

Hydro-Metropolis Zone

How was he alive? No, like, seriously; how was he alive? Staring at him with that sadistic smile on his face, his eyes glowing red like Satan himself. Between the blazing fire, the rushing waterfall, and the fact that they stood on a magically appearing island, all of this felt so surreal. Like the Black Wind was going to suddenly wake up in his bed at home, sweating from a horrible nightmare.

But this was no nightmare; this was the honest truth. Here was Dr. Ivo Robotnik, sitting in the command seat of his newest Egg Mobile-F unit, acting as if this was another day in the week. He put his arms on the front of his command console, propping his head up with his hands. Smiling down at the ebony hedgehog and ivory bat who stared back with stunned eyes, he couldn't help but to smile.

Shadow stared up toward Robotnik, mouth agape, ruby eyes wide. His arms slumped down a bit as he felt water slap the side of his body, all the while, Rouge found her hands covering her mouth in shock. Shadow went over in his mind their final battle. Transforming into Super Shadow at the last moment, escaping the Death Egg as it self-destructed, falling to the earth as well. He _barely_ survived any of that, and it was only thanks to the seven Chaos Emeralds that he was able to survive. But here was Robotnik, looking to be in an even better position than Shadow himself!

"How...?" Shadow mumbled, his stance becoming strengthened.

"The news of my death have been greatly exaggerated!" Robotnik claimed as he laughed in the Egg Mobile-F's command child, "Say hello to the new class of Egg Mobiles! Created from months of hard work by yours truly! I've actually been waiting for you, ya'know. These new Egg Mobiles are in a class of their own! Allow me to show you what I mean!"

 _SPLASH!_

Robotnik quickly retreated into the waterfall, alerting his foes as he readied his attacks. Both mobians got back to back, glaring toward the waterfall as it rumbled around them. The doctor sank lower into the rushing waves, all the while he gave a laugh.

"How is he alive!?" Shadow growled.

"Not now! Watch out!"

 _SPLASH!_

Reemerging from the waterfall, the twin cannon's of Robotnik's Egg Mobile-F showered flames upon the battlefield. Shadow and Rouge rolled out of the way in time, while the hedgehog curled himself up. Shooting at the Egg Mobile-F, he slammed against its hull, only to bounce back. He landed on his hand and rolled to his feet, his body then being replaced by Rouge's feet. She delivered a powerful double-kick to the Egg Mobile-F, which did nothing more than send it slightly off access.

In his retreat, Robotnik protected himself with twin fireballs from his machine's cannons. The two mobians he squared against scattered immediately, vanishing in twin blurs of white and black. In unison, they slammed upon Robotnik's glass dome, pushing him into the earth. They bounced off soon after and landed upon the ground, while Robotnik's demonic laugh echoed into their ears.

"Hah, hah, ha!" Ivo chortled whilst regaining his balance, "You two have improved, I can see that now! Your team work is far superior than the lackluster one you had on West Side Island... Hah!" he glared down upon them, "How many times have you gone over our past struggles, Shadow? Have you analyzed them like I have? Have you learned your weakness, your strengths? Like I have? My plans on West Side Island were perfect, save for one problem! _HER!_ "

Twin streams of fire roared from the Egg Mobile-F, missing Shadow as they flowed straight past him. He rose his arms to protect himself, only to realize the attacks missed. Glaring at Robotnik, the Black Wind was confused by his demented laugh. He sat there in his Egg Mobile, brushing his mustache, laughing at the confused hedgehog beneath him. And then...

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"

"Rouge!?"

He turned around, where a pillar of fire flowed around a shaded figure of a bat. Growling, Shadow immediately rushed for her to free her from her burning confides, only to be slammed in the back by fire as well. The strike pushed him down, while Dr. Robotnik hovered above. Cannons aimed down, he continued to pelt the hedgehog with burning streams of extreme heat.

"HAH HA! DO YOU FEEL THAT, SHADOW! BURN! BURN YOU, BURN!"

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

A beam ripped through the flames, slamming into the Egg Mobile-F's chassis. Throwing him back, Shadow quickly dashed around the fire holding Rouge hostage. Whipping up a tornado around the fire as he ran at high speeds, Shadow was able to douse out said flames. As soon as he did so, Rouge fell unconscious into his arms.

"Awwwww, did I break your friend?" Robotnik asked, "Here! Let me help you!"

Slamming down on his controls, Robotnik spewed more fire upon Shadow's entire body. It swallowed him and Rouge up whole, holding them beneath searing pain. Robotnik's eyes reflected the flames, while his sadistic smile grew in size with every growing second. He held his flames on them for what felt like an eternity, until a blue shine grew within. Robotnik's eyes grew wide.

"That again..."

 _KERPOW!_

Time seemed to slow, then speed up in a matter of a second. Robotnik found it hard to breath in the Egg Mobile-F, while his machine's alarms blared. Gazing to the screen on his machine, it appeared as if one of his cannons were gone. He stared out the left side of his machine, to see it was true. One of his machine's cannons were gone, just like that.

With the lack of balance caused by the missing weapon, Robotnik found it near impossible to stay afloat. He struggled to keep himself floating, before more explosions claimed the rest of his machine. His other cannon erupted into flames, then the rest of the Egg Mobile-F armor was claimed by flames.

Shadow landed behind Robotnik, Rouge in his arms. His entire body was clad in a blue – nearly _angelic –_ hue. After taking a deep breath, that blue aura left his body, and the flames around Robotnik's body took him whole.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Robotnik cursed as he discarded the Egg Mobile-F armor, allowing it to fall down the rushing waterfalls below, "Curse you, Shadow the hedgehog!"

"Where do you think you're going...?" Shadow asked as he watched Robotnik fly overhead him, "I'm not done talking, Doctor!"

Shadow was just about to give chase, when Robotnik flew over a bridge and cliff side. Rushing to chase the doctor, the Black Wind came to a screeching halt when his eyes fell upon _red_. And, no, not the red of fire like the rest of the zone. The red of a certain _echidna_.

"You!" Shadow growled at him, "Who are you?"

The echidna. Shadow could see him so much better now in comparison to before. How he held this pristine condition Mayan piece of armor around his neck. His spiked gloves were clad with silver armor as well, ones unmarred by time. The echidna stared at Shadow with a harden visage, while the Black Wind gazed back in minor confusion. Growing serious as well, he tightened his grip on Rouge's unconscious body.

"I asked you a question," Shadow growled as he approached him, "Who are you? Tell me now."

"The servers are the seven Chaos..." the echidna said instead, making Shadow step back cautiously, "Chaos is power... power is enriched by the heart..."

"That... I've heard it before..." Shadow closed his eyes and focused, "That echidna... Tikal... she said the same thing to me..." he looked up and glared at the echidna, "Just who the hell are you!?"

"The controller serves to unify Chaos!" the echidna stated instead as he raise his fist, it being clad in a green hue, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

As soon as he said that, Shadow felt a powerful jolt shoot through his body. Everything inside him tensed up and locked up, while he felt so incredibly weak. Wobbling on his failing legs, he tried his hardest to keep a hold of Rouge's body. It was near impossible however, as he struggled on the ground. Fighting against his failing muscles, he started taking baby steps toward the echidna before him, eventually stepping foot onto a bridge. As soon as he did so, the echidna slammed his fist upon the ground.

A powerful tremor echoed through the area, while everything shook up and down. Shadow continued to approach the echidna on the wobbling bridge, only for the said bridge to snap. As soon as it did so, gravity shifted. He started falling, his arm reaching out for the echidna above. The Mayan warrior merely watched as the hedgehog fell...

And fell...

And fell...

Until...

 _SPLASH!_

 _Angel Island Zone complete._

 _Shadow and Rouge have entered Hydrocity Zone._

Ruby eyes opened. Energy quickly returned to his body as he clutched Rouge close to him, while water surrounded them on all ends. The waterfall of Angel Island Zone above flowed down here into a seemingly endless pit of water. It grew incredibly dark, though the light from Angel Island above was still visible this deep in. Landing to the bottom, Shadow found his feet pressing above _pavement_. His ruby eyes moved down, upon which he saw bricks.

A sudden vacuum force in the area made his feet slide, taking him by surprise. Dragging his toes over the ground below, he tried to walk away. But his eyes fell upon a deep underwater bungalow, which sucked them in with unforgiving strength. Shadow's superior speed severely hampered by the water's friction, the Black Wind could do nothing but let the suction force suck him in.

He flew into the hall, where he slammed on a bar. Eyes growing wide from the pain, he once more was sucked inside the hall by the powerful force. This time, however, he went flying straight toward a sealed wall.

 _Oh crap..._ he simply thought.

 _WAM!_

His body broke through the brick walls, sending them flying over. Water rushing from the hole in the wall, Shadow took that time to breath in as much as he could. His red eyes stared ahead to a massive zone unlike any he had seen before. A sunken city, one far greater in age than any city he'd ever been too; ruins or otherwise. Upon further inspection however, one could tell this city was more like an extremely advanced water-system, for it constantly transported water. The most amazing thing about it all? It still _works_.

Shadow quickly slammed into more water, his eyes lining the zone he must now traverse. To his surprise, he found this part of the island held Badniks as well. A series of small piranha-like Badniks quickly turned to him when he landed inside, and swam forth at amazing speeds. Unable to escape with the water around him, and unable to fight back with Rouge in his arms, Shadow did his best to defend. He kicked one, only to miss, and get bitten on the leg. And, yeah, it hurt.

"Urgh!"

Mouth opening suddenly, he quickly paid for his mistake. He clamped his mouth shut as bubbles flew, and he struggled to keep his lungs filled with air. Giving an inaudible growl, the hedgehog started to focus his powers. He attempted to visualize a place – any place – just so he could warp he and Rouge to safety.

But no matter how hard he focused, he couldn't perform Chaos Control. And he was trying his hardest. Suddenly realizing it was best to move than hope for something which may or may not work, the hedgehog's air shoes quickly activated. With a sudden explosion of combustion energy, Shadow sent himself propelling for the water's edge.

Deep in his mind, he began considering the idea of Rouge teaching him how to swim. Definitely once this is all said and done with.

 _SPLASH!_

Suddenly launching from beneath the water, the black and red hedgehog landed on a platform. As soon as he did – and was sure he _wasn't_ going to fall back into water – the hedgehog fell onto his back, gasping for air. All the while, Rouge's unconscious body sat on him.

Wait. No. She _wasn't_ unconscious.

"Aaaaaaah! That was fun!" said the bat as she suddenly pulled up, stretching out like this was an everyday thing.

"What!? Wha!? Rouge!?" Shadow shouted as he launched up, glaring at her as he did so.

"Man... am I wet," she went on, as if everything was normal and they weren't just about to drown, "What's wrong, Shadow honey? Are you okay? You look frazzled!"

"You... you...?" then it hit him, and his eyes bent into a powerful glare, "You little liar! You weren't unconscious were you!?"

"Well.. nope!" she said, smiling as she began unhooking the straps of her overalls, "But I am wet..."

"So what? You were just playing? And what are you doing?" he asked as she watched her tie the straps around her waist before turning her back on him.

"I wasn't playing per se," she claimed as she started removing her wet shirt next, "Just because you _thought_ I was unconscious doesn't mean I was so. Fire like that? Psssht! C'mon Shadow, we've faced worse! That wasn't anything more than a show!"

"Rouge, seriously, what are you doing?"

"Whaaaat, Shadow?" she then asked, voice sultry as she strapped on only one of her overall's straps. Folding in her wings so he could get a good look at her naked back, she stared over her shoulder at him and gave a seductive smile, "Haven't seen a naked woman before?"

The hedgehog's face flared red and his face became stunned, before he quickly growled and retained his usual scowl.

"No... more... games, Rouge..." he claimed as he began marching forth, making her laugh as she strapped on her overall again, covering her bust, "We have to find our way out of here!"

"That shouldn't take too long!" she answered, before the duo began running at high speeds.

Shadow and Rouge ran down a long runway, one dripping wet over the waters below. Glaring down to the pristine water, Shadow couldn't help but to wonder about the zone. Going through a shuttle-loop, they continued on their path to...

Somewhere. They honestly had no idea where they were going. An ending had to be close, though.

"So Shadow?" Rouge asked descended closer to the water below, "Why haven't you warped us out yet? I know you tried?"

"Didn't work..." he answered, voice dropping in pitch as he held some anger.

"What do you mean it didn't work?"

"It didn't work," he replied as he looked over his shoulder to her, "For some reason, I just couldn't do it," then his eyes looked back, "That red echidna did something to me. He said something... some chant, some incantation, some _prayer_ , and... not only did it weaken me, it also stopped me from using Chaos Spear... the same thing happened earlier; he was able to turn off my super transformation."

"He stopped Super Shadow?" Rouge replied, "Wow... that red echidna must be some hunk then!"

"More like mystic... _HAAAAAA—FFFFFF!_ "

Suddenly, he and Rouge held their breathes as they ran into the water below. While Shadow's speed slowed to a regular jog above water, Rouge swam above like a graceful mermaid. She stared down at Shadow and giggled toward him, making him roll his eyes in response. Swimming ahead, she suddenly pulled back as slow moving – but powerful – bullets fired on her position.

There was a deeper hole in this zone, one with many platforms going down and down into a hard to define abyss. On the platforms however, there sat blue armored turrets which fired upon Shadow and Rouge.

The automated guns fired upon Shadow and Rouge as they stood on the hole's rim. Shadow glared down to them, then to his hand. Though not as strong above water as he was below, the hedgehog was still far superior to anything Robotnik created.

Clenching his fist, the hedgehog smiled and leaped inside. Falling slowly whilst dodging gunfire, Shadow eyed the nearest turret to him while Rouge dove deeper inside. Landing on the skinny platform, he used quick bursts of underwater speed to get closer to the turret and dodge gunfire. Rolling around behind it, the hedgehog slammed his fist into its armored hull.

His purpose wasn't to destroy the turret, quite the opposite. He tore out the gun unit inside, holding it by its neck. With its chain of ammo hanging from within, the hedgehog leaped down further into the pit. Makeshift gun in his hand, the Black Wind fired upon the other Badniks, destroying them with his aim. Since they were all fasted in place, it was rather easy to destroy them whilst dodging at the same time.

Upon destroying each Badnik, Shadow landed upon one platform. Rouge swam up and joined him on said platform, then their eyes moved to the water above. To their surprise, said water began to recede at a frantic pace. Feeling an extreme suction below them – one far stronger than before – both mobians were slammed to the ground. The water left them however, and they were allowed to breath after it was all over.

"What was that?" Rouge asked as she stood up with Shadow.

"Well... 'bout to find out," the hedgehog answered as he tossed the gun away.

Leaping into the pit below, the Black Wind caused his ally to sigh before she jumped down as well. They landed in a bowl shaped arena, with a single column in the center. Shadow eyed said column closely, before looking down. There were metal bars which allowed a glimpse at a hallway that ran even deeper.

"Feel good about yourself, Shadow?" Rouge asked in a scolding manner, "Did you find what you wanted to find?"

"Shhh!" Shadow suddenly commanded as he stared at the water in the hall below, watching as it began to rise with each passing moment, "You might want to hold your breath..."

Before she could react, the water from the bars below quickly rose up, coming to their necks. Rouge took in a deep breath before the water rose beyond her head. It kept moving higher and higher, before stopping a few yards above them. It wouldn't be too hard to escape the water – especially with the bowl-shaped area – but there seemed to be something _far_ sinister in the works.

A flame appeared above them, steadily dropping from the shadows of the ceiling. The flames appeared to be the thrust engines of a spherical machine. Large, red, and with a mighty golden 'X' slapped on its body, this machine used four missiles to protect its body, all of which rotated around it at high speeds.

Egg Unit Big Shaker hovered above the pool, both mobians glaring back. While Rouge appeared to be awed by the machine above them, Shadow merely crossed his arms. These dances were annoying him by now.

Big Shaker pulled up, vanishing quickly in the ceiling. Rouge wanted to ask Shadow about the machine, only for her answer to come full-force. In a red blur, the Big Shaker appeared rushing down the sides of the arena. Shadow quickly leaped up and over the mighty machine, with Rouge following suit. Though disorientated by the water rushing around them, the Black Wind landed upon his feet, while Rouge swam to the water's surface. The Big Shaker suddenly reappeared, rushing down the walls in another tackling attempt. This time, it met Shadow.

The Black Wind slammed his feet on the ground so hard, he caused a dent in their surface. Hands reached out, he pressed against the Big Shaker as it rammed him. The two came to a screeching halt, with Shadow's hands holding off the Big Shaker's entire body. Bubbles flowed from the hedgehog's mouth as he growled under the water, while the four rockets running around the Big Shaker's body turned to give it some more push.

 _BAM!_

Diving through the water feet first, Rouge slammed onto the Big Shaker's body. It flew away, quickly readjusted its flight, then moved skyward. Shadow leaped up next, breaking from the water to get some air, before falling inside once more. This time, instead of a powerful bum rush, the Big Shaker floated to the column in the middle of the arena. Attaching itself to said column, the Big Shaker shot out its rockets to sit upon the water's surface. Their engines suddenly ignited, causing them to fly on the water at high speeds. In doing so, it caused the water to spiral in a vortex fashion. It moved so fast, Shadow was torn from his feet and flung around in the water. Likewise for Rouge, though her wings allowed her to slow herself down. While Big Shaker did as his name implied, she fought the waves with the wings on her back.

 _SPLASH!_

"Okay! I'm _really_ wet now!" Rouge snarled as she flew above the Big Shaker, "You have no idea how much all of this has ruined my, _HAIR!_ "

She dropped her foot down on the machine with a might axe kick, causing her to bounce. Not only that, but the Big Shaker pulled itself from the column to retreat into the ceiling. With the water's vortex coming to a crawl, Rouge gazed down to see Shadow's hand stretching from the water's surface. It started to sink as the spiral died, but Rouge pulled him out before he could sink full.

"MMFFPLACK!" the hedgehog coughed to get water out, "Ugh! Dear lord! That's far too much for me...!"

"What's wrong, Shadow?" Rouge asked in a teasing manner, "Ever went to a water park? It's the same thing!"

"No... didn't go often..." the hedgehog stated, "Dad _hates_ water parks..."

"It's coming back..."

"Keep me flying," Shadow said, a sadistic smirk coming to his muzzle, "I can already feel my strength coming back!"

He showed this too, by the way his hand cackled with power. The Big Shaker rolled on the walls around them, waiting for the flying bat and hedgehog to make their move. In its haste, it dove into the water multiple times. Shadow watched this, before catching the Big Shaker right before it entered the water deep below.

"Here we go!" he announced before sending a blast of electricity down to the water, "CHAOS SPEAR!"

His powerful strike caused the entire body of water to shine a bright yellow as it surged with thousands upon thousands of bolts of lightning. Rouge covered her eyes to stop from him from blinding her, and after a few minutes, all of it stopped. Shadow's fingers fell with smoke flowing from them. Soon after, pieces of the Big Shaker's body flowed to the top, before a massive explosion shook the entire zone.

"Annoyance..." the hedgehog growled, before being dropped into the water by Rouge.

 _Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1._

The bat watched as Shadow sank to the bottom of the water, arms crossed with annoyance. Looking up at Rouge he began walking towards the edge of the arena in order to scale it. But his actions were cut short quickly, as a suction force began to pull him back. Glaring toward the center of the room, he realized the bars which sat below were blown open by Big Shaker's explosion. Which, of course, caused the water to spiral into the hallways bellow.

 _THUD!_

Slamming down in the floor below, it took a good bit of Shadow's strength to not open his mouth. He instead rubbed his throat, while Rouge swam through the hole as well. She performed a silent giggle whilst looking at him, while he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Instead, he gave a gesture saying 'help me out here' whilst reaching up, and she obliged. As she did so, Shadow's eyes moved down to the hall they were in. One side of the hall was simply a wall, and the other side reached somewhere deeper.

And said wall began _moving_.

Shadow's eyes grew wide as the water in the area shifted from the sudden action. The loud noise echoed out, even beneath the water. Rouge turned around, realizing the wall was coming in too fast for she and Shadow to swim out the hole they came from. Meaning their only exit was going deeper into the zone.

Shadow turned around immediately and began to (unsuccessfully) run away from the crushing wall. Rouge, being an adept swimmer, easily pulled ahead of her ally as she made her way in deeper. However, a green wall slammed shut before them, trapping them in place. Rouge was stunned by this, while Shadow acted instinctively.

His curled body shot through the wall in a mighty Spin Dash, and he kept on going. Rouge eventually followed, and the two entered a small vertical chamber. Shadow quickly leaped up the chamber with a quick burst of his air shoes, breaking through the body of water and coming to air.

"Seriously!?" Shadow shouted as he landed on dry land, Rouge doing likewise moments later, "Did the ancient echidna's booby trap this place?"

"It seems so," Rouge replied, gasping for air after holding her breath for so long, "Though... that doesn't make any sense to me..." she looked over her shoulder down to the body of water they came from, "Why... are they trying to protect something down here or-!?" her eyes grew wide, "Ugh!? Shadow, it's coming still!"

The hall they ran from split open, revealing the wall still aiming to crush them. Now it had grown wider to accommodate the fact that they were on a higher plane. Shadow quickly turned and ran down the hall they stood on, with Rouge rushing behind him. As they did so, walls could constantly shoot down to trap them, but Shadow would take them out with punches while Rouge would destroy them with kicks.

And then they broke through the hall, only to find them suspended high above the zone. All before them, the duo was allowed to see Hydrocity zone's entirety. It was expansive, far greater than they originally believed. It must have stretched over _every inch_ of Angel Island. Deep below the entire island, a massive hydroponic zone laid. Or, ya'know, that sewer system idea, of course.

Rouge stopped immediately, while the oncoming wall slammed into their backs. Pushed over the edge, Shadow fell while Rouge hovered above. The Black Wind fell toward the massive and deep zone, eyes wide as before he crashed into more water. Seriously, this place was really starting to irk him with the constant water. Hedgehog's and water just don't mix.

He pulled himself out onto dry land, gasping for air as he did so, all the while his partner landed right beside him. She giggled then helped him up, while he refused to say a word. Instead, the two suddenly blasted off at sonic speeds, heading down the massive zone.

Hydrocity zone held many traps to impede their movements, from spiked floors to mechanical rotating blades. They dashed past them all, whilst also contending with a Badnik every now and then. There were even newer types in here; shark ones that shot at them like rockets. The two easily destroyed them with their skills, before Shadow suddenly slipped on a light blue slide.

Sliding down it, the hedgehog stood up on the slide. The water rushing beneath his feet, the blistering high speeds, the way the world blurred all around him, the ultimate thrill. Moments like these are what the Black Wind _thrives_ for.

He fell off the pipe way, his body slamming into a wall. Upon doing so, he slid down the wall so fast, he was able to transition his speed to running on the water itself. Shadow skated along with a deadly smirk on his face, Rouge trailing on the winds behind him. She flew ahead a few moments later whilst smiling down at him, before the water he skated upon fell over the edge into a massive basin below.

But Shadow didn't fall with the water, instead he hovered above with Rouge's hand holding him.

"The echidnas sure did have a lot of time on their hands..." Shadow commented, his eyes gazing to it all.

"You're telling me..." Rouge commented, "C'mon, let's get out of this crazy zone... the water's _really_ cold."

"At least you can swim..."

The bat giggled, then her hand's grip on his wrist tightened. Wings flapping, she took off skyward in search of an exit at a slower, more leisure, pace.

…

"Maria... where are they now?" the doctor asked, eyes sliding over in a lax nature.

The woman sat on her chair, blue eyes on the laptop screen before her. She smiled whilst tapping away on the device, before bringing down a screen in their command center. It showed the images of a black and red hedgehog rushing at high speeds, before slamming it into the camera and destroying it with one hit.

"This is taken from a Jaws unit in Hydrocity Zone, where Shadow and Rouge have been located. From other Badniks units located around the zone, the two are somewhere beneath Marble Garden Zone..." she looked over at the doctor, "Does this give you an answer, Ivo?"

"Hmmm... Marble Garden Zone..."

"Knuckles is down there as well," Maria added, making the doctor raise an eyebrow.

"Hmmm... indeed..." the image changed to show Knuckles running through the zone as well, "He's surely going to interact with them..." then he smiled, dementedly so, "Maria, prepare the Egg Mobile-D Mk. III. And send it for Marble Garden Zone..."

"Why there, doctor?"

"I don't know..." the doctor answered, shoulder's shrugging, "Call it a hunch... oh, and prepare the Egg Mobile-S for Hydrocity Zone. I don't want Shadow's stay on Angel Island to become uncomfortable. I'd honestly hate that... oh, and when Knuckles is finished in Hydrocity Zone, make sure his path sends him to Carnival Night Zone. I don't want him know of our plans in Marble Garden Zone. That would ruin some things."

"Indeed, Ivo," Maria said as she began typing away, "Do you honestly believe the Master Emerald is hidden there?"

"Not really," the doctor answered as he shook his head, "But it doesn't hurt to see. Besides, if it's ruined, we'll just blame it on Shadow. That should incite his rage. In the meantime, continued looking for the Chaos Emeralds. Wherever Knuckles hid them, the Master Emerald's bound to be there."

"Done and done, Ivo."

…

Shadow threw the husk of the Badnik down, shaking his head free of more water. No matter what the doctor threw at him, he'd just destroy it and keep going forward. Thank the heaven's Dr. Robotnik had not yet created a monster that was _entirely_ water though. That would be a nightmare.

"Well then... that was a hassle..." Shadow commented as he crossed his arms, his ruby eyes peering over his shoulder to his comrade, "Are you okay back there, Rouge?"

She suddenly walked up behind him however, her sexy smirk on her lips. Tapping his nose and wagging her finger she said,

"Awwww, Shadow, you're beginning to care about me! If you keep this up, people might start to think things!"

"Rouge... be quiet..."

He started walking down the hall next with her at his side, the two taking the moment to reach some solitude. The water-system they walked through still churned all around them, and every thing felt so strong and lively. While Rouge performed a few stretches and cracked a few bones, Shadow continued gazing around to the zone they stood in. He and his eyes came to a stop when they met a statue.

It was a purple sculpture, not to mention very large. Larger in size than Shadow. What the Black Wind expected to see was an echidna. What he saw instead was a _hedgehog_ , not much different than him. Where his quills pointed up, this hedgehog's quills pointed down. This hedgehog's lips were – for some reason – carved into a smile. Of course, Shadow rarely – if ever – smiles. There were far more differences between the two, but just as much similarities.

If this hedgehog could move, what would he say?

"Shadow!" Rouge suddenly called, moving his eyes over to her, "This is the only exit we got!"

"Coming..." Shadow answered as he uncrossed his arms, ignoring the hedgehog statue.

Walking to Rouge's side, she stood near a pit which reached down even further. Rouge cocked her head in confusion at the sight, while Shadow leaped down without a moment's hesitation.

"Hey wai... ugh... why bother..." Rouge bemoaned before leaping in herself.

Using her wings to slow her descent, Rouge landed safely on a blue bridge alongside Shadow. Upon doing so, they found themselves slightly trapped.

"This zone's getting annoying," Shadow claimed as he looked to the ceiling, "Ugh... if I had a Chaos Emerald on me, we'd be gone right now..." instead he looked to the ceiling, "The most I can do is get us farther north in the zone but..." his eyes moved down, "You... you're here, aren't you?"

"Ahg!?"

Shadow turned around, staring right past Rouge. On the opposite end of the bridge, there he was. The same echidna from earlier, the same echidna who hounded them at the beginning of the zone. The tall red echidna with the Mayan markings on his hands, tall stature, muscular frame, aged armor on his body and everything. Purple eyes that shined like diamonds peered at them, picking them apart.

"Oh my..." Rouge said, before her teal eyes shined, "An echidna! And a pretty hot one at that!"

"You again!" Shadow shouted, ignoring Rouge's comment, "Who are you... I demand to know or else!"

Showing his rage, the hedgehog's hand began to surge with chaotic prowess. If the echidna was scared, he didn't show it. Instead, his eyes slid down into a glare at the hedgehog while he approached him.

"Last chance, before I get serious, echidna!" but then he stood, his hand fell, and he stood tall instead of his hunched and angered position, "Wait... can you even understand me?"

"I _can_ understand you," Knuckles stated, " _Black_ _Wind_..."

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Ya'know, Hydrocity Zone is, like, my favorite zone in all of Sonic 3 and Knuckles. I don't know, there's just something about it from the Zone. From the amazing length, the music, the sights, all of it is just so amazing. The super speeds, the platforming... ugh! I can't even describe it! So I won't..._

 _So, anyway, when writing this zone, I wanted to touch upon some key moments. The first drop into the water, the Big Shaker boss fight, the crushing walls, and the high-speed section with the tubes and running on water and stuff. Plus the shark-torpedo Badniks. Gotta mention them as well, they are awesome. And, of course, I ended it with the meet up with Knux at the end._

 _I also mention the statues that look like Sonic that are near the ceiling in Hydrocity Zone act 1. When I found those as a child, I lost my mind. Like a certain mural that's gonna appear later on in this story. Course, if you've played Sonic and Knuckles, you already know what I'm talking about. But for those who don't know yet, can't reveal spoilers!_

 _I was going to do the entirety of Hydrocity Zone in this chapter, including the boss fight with Screw Eggman at the end, but I didn't fit it all in there. So, like Flame Eggman, Screw Eggman's gonna be saved for the next chapter. Granted, the next chapter's gonna be special. After chapter 4, I'm gonna set everything back on the correct path. Hopefully._

 _When writing this chapter, I also realized something. Shadow has a title here - the Black Wind. Sonic has a title - the Blur Blur. Tails has a title - its Tails. Remember, his real name is Miles Prower. But Rouge doesn't have a title of some sort. She's just Rouge. So, hey, if you wanna, if one of you all come up with a title for her (cuz I'm lazy) I'll use it in this story! Yeah!_

 _But now I digress. Next chapter, we'll take a quick detour before heading to Marble Garden Zone. So... yeah, there's something to look forward to!_

 _I like Maria in this story so far. She has an actual body now, and isn't just a hologram. We'll see what becomes of that in the future._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	4. Sapphire Lake Zone

Sapphire Lake Zone

Shadow and Rogue looked at the red echidna, both glaring at him while he glared back. Both were surprised that he could speak their language, even more so in a way they could understand. There was no broken accent, no tonal shift, no invasion of distant and old language. It was in a voice they could both interpret, though it was rougher than theirs.

"Ooookaaaaay," Shadow said, voice slurring a bit as he stared at the echidna, "Fine then... if you can understand us – and we you – then tell me, who are you?"

"My name...?" the echidna said before raising his fist, alerting Shadow and Rouge, "My name is Knuckles! And you have no right to be here on my island, you demon!"

"Demon!?"

"The Doctor has already told me everything I needed to know..." the echidna said, making Shadow raise an eyebrow, "I have nothing more to say to you, Black Wind! Prepare yourself!"

And then he stepped forward. Upon doing so, he seemingly _vanished_. But, no, he didn't vanish. His entire body – like a red _blur –_ darted to Shadow's side. The hedgehog pulled back, as he was suddenly face to face with an echidna who was just moments ago yards away. No one moves that fast.

Well, of course, save for _Shadow_ himself.

The hedgehog pulled up his arms, realizing the surprise action gave him no time to dodge. Instead blocking himself, he found his arms meeting the fists of a powerful foe. The strike slammed into his defense, throwing him back. He flew into the wall behind him, crashing into it. The force of the strike rumbled through his entire being, and nearly made it impossible for him to bring his arms back up. Even though he blocked the strike, it sure didn't feel like it. His defense was utterly annihilated!

Just how strong was this echidna!?

"Urrrr!" Shadow growled as he looked back at the echidna, "You're going to pay for that!"

Now it was his turn. He stepped forward, then immediately dashed for the echidna. Despite the small arena for their fight, the hedgehog was able to gain enough speed to practically fly at his foe. The echidna threw a blindingly fast punch at his invading foe, only to strike pure air. Shadow's speed was so fast, he was able to create an afterimage of himself. Instead, the real Shadow was right behind the echidna, where he slammed his shoulder into his back. With so much momentum, the hedgehog slammed Knuckles into the wall with his powerful tackle.

"Is this over?" Shadow growled as he walked back to stand beside Rouge, watching as the echidna stood back onto his feet.

Despite being slammed into the wall with enough force to destroy multiple Badniks, the echidna appeared to be perfectly fine. He turned and faced Shadow, face still hard into that scowl. The Black Wind stepped back in a stunned manner, before stepping back forward with anger.

"Fight, fight, fight," Rouge stated as she placed her fists on her hips, "Is that all you boys know how to do? Why don't you two just try to talk things out? Listen," Rouge looked at the echidna, "You mentioned a doctor, right? Like, Dr. Robotnik? Can't you tell by now, uh... Knuckles, wasn't it? Dr. Robotnik's evil, he's lying to you!"

"He's told me about you too," Knuckles claimed as he faced the bat, making her grow wide eyed, "He called you a vile temptress who uses her body to seduce men!"

"Hey! That's only rarely!"

"ROUGE WATCH OUT!"

Everything happened so fast, even for her. The wind howled, things blurred, and sound wailed. Rouge found herself wrapped tightly into Shadow's arms as he held her tightly. She stared up to Shadow's face, watching as he grunted and growled in pain. Looking over his shoulder, she saw Knuckles. He was so much closer now, and his fist was embedded in Shadow's back. The armored spikes of his gloves were in the hedgehog', causing blood to flow.

"Chaos..." Shadow said slowly, cracks of pain in his voice, "BLAST!"

His entire body turned red, and from his back he fired off a powerful blast. The red shock wave sent Knuckles flying into the wall, and easily destroyed the chamber and bridge they stood upon. Upon doing so, his body went flying into the body of water far below. Rouge looked up to the hedgehog's face, where she saw he was silent. Unconscious, and barely breathing.

 _Blood_ , flowing from him.

"Shadow?" the bat called out.

 _SPLASH! SPLASH!_

The two fell into the water below, bubbles flying from Shadow's mouth. The bat quickly swam to him, where she glided her arms beneath his body. The water's around them were dyed red with the hedgehog's blood, alerting the bat. Growing frantic, she knew Shadow could possibly die if his wounds weren't tended too. So, swimming for the water's surface, she attempted to escape. But a strong vortex pulled her down the hall she and Shadow fell into, tossing them into an even larger area. In this area, the water quickly descended upon them, allowing the two to breath air.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Shadow!?" the bat cried at the hedgehog in her arms.

"Ugh... urgh..." he replied, eyes opening and closing, "Rouge..."

Now up to their knees in water, Shadow fainted fully. The hedgehog pulled on his body as best she could, growing equally as annoyed as she was frantic.

"Dangit Shadow, you're so heavy!" she growled as she pulled on him, "You just... needed to let this happen to you, didn't you? This isn't easy for me, Mr. Ultimate Life Form! Ugh!" she pulled him up into her arms like a bride, feeling his blood line down her clothes, "I wouldn't drag you around for every jewel in the... well..."

Checking the hedgehog's body, she turned him around and checked his back. There were two holes there, caused by Knuckle's punch. They were bleeding too, and dying the body of water around them red. Gently stroking his cheek, she tried to wake him up. She even slapped his face a few times, but he remained out like a light.

 _WWWWHHHHRRRRRRR!_

A shadow fell over them, and the water they stood in began to cyclone. The bat gazed around as more and more rings appeared on the body of water, quickly flying away from them and vanishing. The rings were being created by a powerful vacuum of wind blowing around their bodies. Rouge's eyes moved up, where the cause of he problems sat right above them.

An Egg Mobile – the 'S' model – hovered above them. Spherical like all Egg Mobiles, it had a golden-colored screw on the bottom of its body. This rotating blade constantly spun, causing the water to spiral along with it. Rouge glared at the machine as she noticed an optic glaring back at her.

"Just my luck!" Rouge snarled as the machine's rotating blade increased it's speed.

The water began to rise right below Rouge's body, dragging her in toward the machine's blades. Clenching Shadow's body, she leaped out of the way and glided toward the opposite side of the massive chamber. Landing in the water, she stared back to the Egg Mobile-S. It began flying towards her, dropping bombs from a slot out its back. These bombs would explode as soon as it touched the ground, causing large pillars of water to fly sky high.

It grew closer with every second, making Rouge sigh. Laying Shadow down, she made sure his head was above the waves of the water, saving him from a slow drowning death.

"I'll be back in a second, Shadow dear," Rouge said as she smiled down to his silent body, "Don't go dying on me just yet!" standing tall, the bat turned and faced the Egg Mobile-S. Face hard, her hand curled into a tight fist, "Alright! I haven't come this far just to fail! I'm gonna get me some jewels before this is all over!"

Running through the water as fast as she could, Rouge dashed for the Egg Mobile-S. It turned to throw bombs at her, but the bat leaped into the air. Wings opening wide, she flew flawlessly toward the machine. It dropped more explosions causing more pillars of water to erupt from the ground. Rouge flew between the blasts, getting closer and closer to the machine as she did so. It flew up to avoid her, but Rouge performed a mighty flap with her wings. It sent her higher than the machine, higher into the air in fact. Performing a flip, she then dropped down and slammed her foot on the machine's chrome head.

The action bounced Rouge back, who went flying toward the opposite side of the area to put some distance between her and her foe. Hovering above the water with her flapping wings, Rouge gazed to the Egg Mobile-S as it steadily flew toward her. Once more, it began turning its screw, summoning more water to fly beneath its machine.

As it did so, Rouge watched it. And she saw Shadow's body drifting into the screw as well. The idea of watching Shadow and a blender blade touching skin _wasn't_ the kind of thought she wanted in her head.

Rouge dove in quickly, rushing through the water and crashing into Shadow's body. Scooping him out of the vortex, she hovered in the air with him holding onto her body. The Egg Mobile-S suddenly turned to face the duo, it's single yellow optic blinking. Dropping more bombs upon the area, the Egg Mobile made the entire zone shake and quiver. There was something below here, Rouge could here it. Her ears twitched, her head cocked, and she glared at the floor below them.

" _AAAAAAHHHH!_ " she suddenly screamed in a specific manner.

The sound waves penetrated the water and hit the ground, where she got an interesting reaction.

"Ah-ha!" she claimed before flying to the Egg Mobile-S, "Hang on tight, Shadow. It's gonna get bumpy!"

Flying right beneath the Egg Mobile, Rouge glared down to the ground. Then, in place, she began spinning. Faster and faster, spinning far faster than she could in a Spin Dash. The next instant, she drove down to toward the ground. With the power of a drill, Rouge was capable of digging through the heavily fortified ground, tearing through stone and sediment like it was nothing. She was eventually covered by the water, all the way up to her head and beyond. And soon, she vanished completely.

Silence permeated the zone, and the Egg Mobile-S continued hovering above. It's optic dove into the hole, seeing nothing but water. Water which was growing violent. Water which was rushing higher. Water she grew and grew in size until-

 _THOOOOOOOSH!_

A wicked pillar of water roared from the hole in the ground, slamming into the Egg Mobile-S and swallowing it hole. At the top of the pillar was Rouge herself, eyes wide, mouth open, and howling at the top of her lungs with Shadow in her arms.

"AAAAHHH! TOO HIGH! TOO HIGH! TOO FAST!"

Higher and higher they flowed, towards the ceiling of the zone. Unable to move, unable to budge. Just moving higher and higher, until Rouge covered Shadow's body until...

 _Rouge and Shadow have completed Hydrocity Zone._

 _Next, Azure Lake Zone_.

…

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

This had never happened to him before. Shadow the hedgehog, the legendary Black Wind, the Ultimate Life Form himself, was _tired_. He had become tired before, though rarely. And when that happened, he was usually facing off with some animal powered machine. Other than those very rare moments, nope, never. He almost never grew exhausted, and he never grew exhausted when fighting a _living_ foe.

This bat before him was different from the rest. The other mobians or humans he met, the other creatures he had faced, she was vastly different. No matter what he threw at her, she was perfectly able to counter. A punch here, she'd dodge, a kick there, she'd block. Counter attacks would trade, clean hits she'd get off. Yeah, she was actually able to _hit_ him. No one hits him.

It was _angering_ him, honestly. He had no equals, especially in some kleptomaniac female who appears out of nowhere. He had every right of mind to send a blast in her direction and end her life that moment. But he didn't. Though he really wanted too – and could easily do so – the hedgehog just didn't. He kept up this battle. He kept clashing with her. He kept up the fight.

"So, what?" the bat asked as she looked at him, eyebrow raised while she rose her arms to regain her battle stance, "Just gonna stand there, or just can't keep it up?"

The hedgehog glared at his enemy, showing he wasn't in the mood for games or snappy comments. He matched her actions and rose his fists to gain a battle stance as well. Not answering the bat, he instead chose to glare and analyze her. Closely and deeply; creeping her out as he did so. Then pulled back.

"Just... who are you, anyway?" he inquired, "What's your name, bat girl?"

"Hey, that's rude," she replied, dropping her arms and letting her guard down, "Is that how you talk to women?"

Though he wanted that answer, he figured it no longer mattered. Her arms down, he quickly dashed for her, fist poised to strike her head. With one mighty blow, he'd knock her clean out.

But something went wrong in his attack. He punched her, but missed. Instead, her hands fell on his shoulders, her foot struck his feet, he flipped over completely, and landed in the sand on his back. Not injured by the counter but dumbfounded all the while, he just stared up. The bat with teal eyes gaze back.

"It's Rouge, by the way."

…

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Ugggghhh... huh... huuuhh?"

He pulled himself up rather quickly, only to regret it just as fast. Head bending in, he growled from the pain, all of which centered on his back. His hand reached to it, expecting to feel fur, but instead feeling coils. Some wet coils, but coils nonetheless.

He opened his red eyes, with his blurred eyes relaying the image of breaking dawn. The rays of the morning sunlight painted the sky with a beautiful array of blues, yellows, oranges and reds. All of them peered behind a great mountain chain which sat in the distance, far beyond a massive lake. The hedgehog's mind being a disorientated mess, he attempted to figure out how he got here. After he got here. After he quenched his dying thirst.

Crawling over to the lake, he peered inside. The water was pristine and clear, untouched by grime or dirt of any kind. Copping his hands inside, he pulled out some water and drank it rather quickly.

"Uhhh... okay," Shadow said as he looked left and right, "Where am I? And..." he struggled to his feet, standing tall in spite of the pain in his back, "Where's Rouge... Rouge!" he began calling her name as he walked left and right, "Rouge! Rouge! Where are you!? Urgh!"

Suddenly feeling a surge of pain in his back, Shadow nearly fell forward. He remained standing though as he instead parted his legs, then began looking left and right. Only for his eyes to pull up. There stood tall a grand yellow tree, and on one of the branches of said tree, a certain bat hung upside down. Her wings curled in to give her warmth and her mascara-clad eyes shut, she was clearly resting.

Shadow thought about calling out to her again, waking her up from her slumber, but he quickly went against that thought. Instead he walked over to the tree where Rouge laid and leaned up against it herself. The bat had a good idea; sleep was the best choice for the both of them. After running through two zones – two acts each – the hedgehog felt it was best to follow Rouge's example.

Ya'know, with the whole crises over tidal waves, Shadow just never got the time to rest. After all, his bed at his parents home was underwater, and his bed at his own home was also underwater. And Shadow _loves_ his bed. If it's underwater, well, he's not getting much rest.

He crossed his arms and pressed himself harder against the tree, feeling his body and muscles relax. It was kinda hard to rest though, as he could feel the coils on his body squeezing tightly. He looked down and rubbed those coils, remembering his brief fight with the echidna, Knuckles.

"Are you okay down there?" Rouge's voice suddenly asked, making the hedgehog stare up.

He looked up, finding her teal eyes gazing back down. Her head cocked to one side as she inquired his well-being, being nonchalant yet concerned about the whole situation.

"I can't complain... I'm alive..." Shadow answered as he gazed toward the lake, "Tell me, Rouge... just... what time is it?"

"Hard to say," Rouge said as she yawned, "Silly me. I forgot my watch; it's still at the Tornado. I didn't think I needed it. But – if I do say so myself – it's probably around eight am Tuesday... hm..." her eyes trailed to the image of the rising sun rays drifting over the mountains, "Beautiful, isn't it? I... hm... I've done a lot of treasure hunting over the years Shadow and... I just love these kinds of sights. Standing over the edge of a mountain and watching the sun rise after getting your hand on a priceless jewel. Heh, it's like..."

"Zzzzzzz..."

"Shadow? Shadow?"

Rouge looked down to the hedgehog, noticing he had gone to sleep peacefully. It was kinda sweet, really. Who would've thought the demonic looking and incredibly powerful hedgehog would look so cute this way? It brought a smile to the bat's face.

Then the water's began stirring. Rings appeared upon them, as they began to peak and break. Something spherical started to rise from the lake, larger and larger, its streamlined chrome down dragging water streaks down upon it.

The Egg Mobile-S hovered just above the lake, it's body greatly injured by the beating it took from Hydrocity Zone's surprise geyser. Metallic panels were peeling, its optic was cracked, it's golden screw busted, and even the bomb launcher was marred. But none of this would stop the Egg Mobile nor it's mission.

Priority #1 – the elimination of Shadow the hedgehog – was all that mattered to it.

"Doesn't this thing just give up?" Rouge asked to herself, before dropping down from her perch to land near Shadow.

"Huh, wha?" the hedgehog said as he was awoken by Rouge's action. Upon seeing the Egg Mobile before him, he growled and immediately flared red, only for Rouge's hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Don't worry, Shadow," she claimed with a taunting smile to him, "I've got this!"

Suddenly leaping into the sky, Rouge flew toward the Egg Mobile-S. Shadow stood to his feet and leaned up against the tree as he watched his ally glide toward the machine. Her wings opened just above the Egg Mobile-S causing her to descend steadily upon the machine. Landing on its body, she glared down to where the bomb launcher sat. Though heavily damaged by water and pressure, a few safe-guarded bombs laid inside. It made the bat snicker.

Reaching into her overalls, the white-furred bat pulled out a heart-shaped bomb. Slamming it onto the Egg Mobile-S's bomb launcher, it attached itself rather quickly. She then pulled herself away and flew off, right as the Egg Mobile-S attempted to strike her.

The heart bomb began to glow and flash, just as Rouge landed upon the ground near Shadow. And then a mighty explosion. It destroyed the entire bomb launcher, and with it the entire Egg Mobile-S. The destruction of the machine sent water flying in the lake, dousing even Shadow who sat on the lakeside. After shaking the water off his fur, he stared over to Rouge who simply smiled.

"I think it's time we finally moved on..."

"Aww, but Shadow, isn't this place grand?"

"Maybe so, but the world needs this island off the map... no more messing around..."

He turned and walked a few feet forward only to grunt as his back spiked with pain. Rubbing his injury, he felt Rouge's soft hand fall on his shoulder.

"Let's take it a tad bit easy for a while," she said as she walked off with hands behind her back, "We don't want you agitating your wounds, do we?"

Shadow crossed his arms when she said so, but didn't argue with her. He'd be lying if he said his back wasn't painful right now. So he walked beside Rouge, taking his time instead of running like they usually do. They'd save that for later.

Azure Lake Zone was a beautiful place though, that's for sure. The grass was a wonderful green, and the flowers were bright and vibrant. The perfectly pristine lake reflected the mountain chain in the background, and the rising sun painted vibrancy in the sky. There were also blue ruins laden with this zone, blocks and walls all claimed by nature.

"Feeling better yet?" Rouge suddenly asked, causing Shadow to nod.

"Yeah but..." he wheeled his arm around as he tugged on the coils wrapped around his chest and back, "Where'd you get these bandages?"

"By now, it would be stupid of me _not_ to bring bandages," Rouge laughed, "Shadow, you're more accident prone than a black cat! And these adventures come out of nowhere for you! When I'm with you, I _always_ bring some first aid equipment. Just in case you decide to break yourself like usual."

"I don't break," Shadow claimed, eyes settling into a glare.

"Oh? Is that so?" Rouge asked as she crossed her arms, smirk on her muzzle, "Then... how about a little _race_ , Shadow? Oh, how I know you love those," she pointed towards the edge of the zone, "Just once around this little place. Whoever get's to the end first wins."

"Wins what?" Shadow replied.

"A _kiss_..."

His eyes slid into a glare.

"Stop playing games Rouge..."

"I'm not playing games, Shadow," the bat replied, "C'mon. I've just challenged you. Let's go for a spin."

He stopped, then looked away as he considered her proposal. Though not a person to be easily torn from his main path, he was known to grow somewhat more vulnerable around those he trusts. So when Rouge challenged him to a race, it was almost impossible for him to say 'no'. Whether injured or in top shape, the Black Wind is the fastest thing alive. No exceptions.

"Alright... fine..." his lips curled into a smile, and he tugged on his gloves to fasten them on his hands, "Quick race to the end... just because you challenged me."

"Oh? Or is it because you just really want a kiss from me?"

"Don't flatter yourself..."

"Awww, Shadow you're so mean!" she teased in a joking manner, before hunching down on the ground in a runner's pose, "Are you ready?"

"The better question is..." he did likewise, "Are you?"

Shadow and Rouge gazed ahead to the zone, one born of various ramps, loops, and empty vast planes. There were many places to gain speed, places the two would surely make use of to get ahead of their opponent.

3...

2...

1...

 _ZOOOM!_

Shadow skated at a somewhat leisurely pace, which was still incredibly face compared to other runners. He went up and down hills, before zipping up a ramp that sent his speed flying. A smile came to his lips as he believed he left Rouge in his dust. But one gaze skyward showed otherwise, as the bat leaped from one ruinous structure to another with just as much speed as he did.

The Black Wind grunted and redoubled his efforts, only to find some pain in his back. Ignoring it, he continued to skate along the lakeside front, eyeing the wonderful imagery of ancient echidna ruins placed around. Some of which even held images of Chao pressed on them.

Shadow skated off the walls as he gained speed, feeling the wind brush through him. He could feel his body growing near the end of the zone as he leaped over a pit of some mysterious gunk. Skating up another ramp and landing on the corresponding hill, he stopped, realizing the race was over. He smiled, but that smile quickly left him when he saw Rouge standing on the hill. She appeared bored, yawned a bit, and generally caused Shadow's rage to spike.

"Oh... you're there?" the bat asked before yawning again, "I was wondering when you'd show up?"

Shadow's eyes merely slid into glares at her while he got closer to the bat, making her smile up to him.

"How'd you get here so fast?" he asked in his usual serious tone.

"I ran... just ran _faster_ than you," she answered in a teasing manner with an equally teasing smile.

"Impossible..." Shadow retorted while the bat laughed, "No one's faster than me..."

His eyes gazed over past Rouge then, where he saw the next zone over the hill. It was massive, grand, green, and with hundreds, if not _thousands_ , of forest claimed ruins sitting atop hills. Crossing his arms as he gazed upon the zone, Shadow saw multiple Badniks running around and making afoul of the zone's natural beauty. Time to end all of that.

"Okay, Rouge," he stated as he pulled off the coils on his back, his wound now properly healed, "No more playing games. It's time we got a move on."

"Hey, hey!" she shouted as she followed him into the zone, "I won, where's my kiss you!"

"Fat chance..." he replied before smiling himself, "I'm pretty sure you cheated anyway!"

 _ZOOM!_

"Ugh..." Rouge replied as she walked forward a few fights, "And I didn't cheat you!"

 _ZOOM!_

 _Azure Lake Zone complete._

 _Shadow and Rouge have entered Marble Garden Zone._

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Do you remember the competition mode in Sonic 3? When you'd race against someone else in these five specially made zones? Three laps until the end. I used to play that mode all the time with my brother and sister, and remember all five of those zones like the back of my hand._

 _So when I started writing this fanfic, I wanted desperately to include the zones in this story. So here we are, in the first one of those zones, Azure Lake Zone. It's the first of the two-player zones, and definitely won't be the last. Since there are no beta stages in Sonic 3 and Knuckles quite like there are in Sonic 2, these will have to fit the bill of added in zones for this story. But hey, they're are five of them! Awesome right!?_

 _In this zone, I wanted Shadow and Rouge to race like the old two player mode. But, yeah, don't expect them to race all the time. That'll get kinda redundant, wouldn't it? I also wanted this chapter to be somewhat of a breather to get things running again before we head off to the next zone, right? Plus, for you guys, some Shadow and Rouge scenes. Not much, but hey, it's there, right?_

 _Anyway, that's enough of that. Next stop, we head off to Marble Garden. I just need to come up with a name for it. Like, Marble Flowerbed Zone. Naw, that sounds stupid._

 _Hm... that's strange. One entire chapter without Dr. Robotnik or Maria. Feel's weird; I miss them._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	5. Sculpture Garden Zone

Sculpture Garden Zone

 _SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!_

"Quite an amusing number of ruins," Rouge's voice called from behind, her wings flapping and her feet tapping, "If it weren't for the Badniks around, I'd be hunting for treasure!"

"Maybe so," Shadow answered as he looked over his shoulder at her, "But priorities, Rouge... priorities..."

Marble Garden Zone was big. No, large. No, _enormous_. For one who visited ancient ruins as often as he visits his parents, Shadow didn't know such a large and decaying city could exist. Marble Zone of South Island and Aquatic Ruins Zone of West Side Island simply did not compare in the long run. These ruins were an actual _city_. One being marred by Robotnik's Badniks.

The zone stretched on for as far as the eyes could see. Grass and vegetation had long since claimed the zone, for ancient runways and various other technological wonders of the echidna race were deep below. Once glance to the left, one could see temples of wondering size, one glance to the right, one could see the exact same sight. It was wondrous.

Coming down a large grassy ramp way, Shadow and Rouge rapidly began to pick up speed as they dove right into the bowls of the zone. There were so many ancient writings on walls and under their feet, all a sight to behold as they zipped on through. Their journey brought them up another ramp, and on a hilly grass side. Coming to a halt, Shadow gazed around to the various mantis-like Badniks that hopped around on long legs.

"Hm..." the hedgehog mumbled as he gazed at them.

"What?"

"Nothing, Rouge. Chaos Spear!"

With one swipe of his hand, he sent bolts of power flying their way, destroying each and every Badnik with ease. With them cleared, the two rushed through the flames left over to the rest of the zone. As they did so, various areas of the ground began to rise, like ancient traps coming back to life. Shadow came to a stop as a rumbling echoed far beneath their feet, while he raised even higher. As he moved skyward, he stared over to the horizon to the mountain chain in the distance.

"C'mon," Rouge suddenly said as she grabbed his hands, lifting him high.

Flying over the zone, Shadow stared down to the variable maze below. Even from above, the zone was amazing to look at. From within however, something blue began to rise after them. A massive school of Badniks flew toward them, all blue and balloon like. What made them deadly were the _spikes_ that constantly shot from their body.

"Rouge..." Shadow said as he gazed at the Badniks.

"I see them!"

Suddenly, she began spinning, with Shadow in her arms. Gaining speed, power and inertia, she suddenly stopped with Shadow behind her back. One mighty roar later, she threw the hedgehog toward the Badniks, who curled into a yellow ball and slashed right through them with an amazing homing strike.

One by one the Badniks were destroyed, and Shadow landed in a blanket of pillars and rocks. Standing up, the hedgehog came face to face with, well, a _face_. It was ancient, grey, and looked extremely _human_ to be of echidna origin. The silent face had its eyes closed and mouth shut, appearing just like any other sculpture in the massive zone. Thinking nothing of it, Shadow turned around and began walking away. The sculpture opened its mouth, its eyes wide, a red jewel on its head gleaming. Then it fired a single arrow.

In a blur, Shadow vanished, dodging the strike. He then flung one blast back at the statue, destroying the red jewel on its head. In doing so, the stature grew silent and broke down.

"Did I miss anything?" Rouge asked as she landed right next to the hedgehog.

"Be sharp," he warned instead as he crossed his arms, "Its like Aquatic Ruins Zone; Robotnik has traps everywhere..." he looked left and right, "I'm not even sure if its incredibly safe to be standing still right here. He's clearly been in this zone far longer than the others we've gone through..." he looked over to her, "Let's go..."

Grabbing her hand, Shadow zipped along the zone at sonic speeds, bringing Rouge along for the ride.

…

"Mantis unit, Bubble unit, and a Relief statue has been destroyed in Marble Garden Zone, Robotnik," the blonde said as she brushed her fingers through her hair, "It's not too hard to figure out whose causing all of this... is it?"

"Indeed," the doctor answered, though not with his actual voice.

Maria stared down to her desk, specifically to a speaker on his desk. Cocking her head at the desk, she watched as it buzzed and boucned.

"So Shadow has destroyed the Egg Mobile-S in Hydrocity Zone?"

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik," Maria answered as she smiled at the desk.

A sudden screen appeared on her desk, one that showed Dr. Robotnik himself. He was hovering through the air in a machine, and that's pretty much all she could see. That's pretty much all she _needed_ to see. He was high above Marble Garden Zone itself.

"Tell me, Maria," the doctor said as he leaned back in his chair, "How has the Tunnelbot been doing in the zone? Has it yet discovered where Knuckles and the Master Emerald is?"

"Unfortunately no, Robotnik," she frowned a bit, "I'm afraid to say this, but I believe Hidden Palace Zone isn't actually beneath Marble Garden Zone..."

"I'm beginning to believe the same thing," Robotnik claimed as he sighed, "Nevertheless, Shadow is here, and we do have the seven Chaos Emeralds..." he smiled, "You know the plan, Maria; send on of our high-level Badniks after Shadow just to slow him a bit. I don't expect it to kill Shadow and Rouge but... if it were to happy, I would be simply ecstatic!"

"Oh, Ivo!" Maria said as she clapped her hands, "I think... Can I, do you mind if..." she pointed at herself, smiling a bit, "Do you mind if I go out for a _walk_?"

Dr. Robotnik sat there in his control seat, looking at his cousin while considering her offer. Hand on his chin, he began looking left and right as if perplexed by her request. Then he looked at her, a smile on her face, and nodded.

"Sure thing, Maria! Have fun; you have been cooped up in the command room all day!"

She smiled then, and clapped her hands together in an excited manner. Though alarmed by her actions, she quickly grew serious once more. But she couldn't fight against the smile that broke on her lips, and she quickly performed a gracious bow to her cousin.

"Thanks, Ivo," she said, "I'll be back before you come back, that I promise."

Quickly leaping up from her chair, she left the monitor as it turned off. Her eyes on Robotnik's usual chair, she ran and sat in it. Giddy like a school girl, the woman tapped on a series of buttons that laid on its arm rest. After pulling in her legs and hands, she happily played around in her chair.

"Can't wait!" she stated over and over again, "I can't wait!"

The glass dome of the Egg Mobile suddenly sealed Maria in, and a slot in the floor opened. Seconds later, she was falling through the air.

…

Another chamber down, another chamber littered with the fallen shells of Badniks. They were really becoming adept at this. With this cocky smirk on Shadow's face, he nodded to the carnage he and Rouge imposed upon his enemies. Didn't the doctor _ever_ learn?

He stared up to the ceiling of the temple they stood in, taking note of its majesty. Large in size, its columns met from the floor the ceiling, and dozens of them stretched on up. Despite the aged columns – not to mention the vines growing upon them – the temple was just as strong as any building he had gone threw. Robotnik's Badniks be damned.

Turning around he faced the exit and walked to escape this area, when the ground began to shake. Standing firm to not be blown over, he looked over to Rouge who gazed back with just as much confusion. Shadow opened his mouth to speak, right when the ground erupted beneath their feet. Between the two, a pair of drills roared through the earth.

It was a machine, resembling some weird bow-tie at best. Three spheres all connected together, with a blue optic in the very center. Orange with blue stripes running up and down it, on the two balls on at the ends, silver drills were in constant rotation.

"Huh..." Shadow said as he got a fighter's stance, "Another one of the doctor's robots..." he rose an eyebrow, "This one looks tougher than the rest though..."

"Robotnik's really stepping up his game this time," Rouge stated as she got right beside Shadow, "Haven't ya noticed? Each zone we fight one of these stronger type Badniks... like some sort of-"

" _Miniboss_?" Shadow interrupted, before a smirk broke out on his muzzle, "No matter! Get's my blood flowing! CHAOS LANCE!"

Suddenly turning red, Shadow sent a red spear flying the Badnik's way. It triggered an explosion that sent the machine flying back. Fully expecting the Badnik to fly his way, the machine instead began to bore its way into the ceiling. As soon as it did so, the entire underground temple began to cave in around them.

Shadow merely scoffed as he glided backwards on his air shoes, making way for an exit. Rouge was right at his side, and the two escaped the cavern after rushing forward at sonic speeds. Upon coming outside, they watched as the Badnik flew right overhead. It vanished somewhere deeper into the zone, though the two were sure it would find someway to creep back up again.

Shadow began running again soon after, with Rouge right at his side. They eventually dove into yet another underground temple, one laid with traps. Another one of those human-faced statues sat on the wall and fired an arrow at him. Shadow dodged it, while Rouge destroyed the crystal on its head which gave it life. A Mantis Badnik leaped out of the ground right behind Shadow, who wheeled around and struck it with a kick. From above, a Bubble Badnik descended, its spikes ejected to kill him. But Rouge landed upon the machine and destroyed it.

"I'm getting sick of these- GAMES!" the Black Wind stated as he flung a Chaos Emerald which destroyed another Badnik.

"You're telling me..." Rouge commented as she kicked another Mantis Badnik.

To their surprise, the entire cavern began shaking again. Rouge and Shadow glared around, when this time – from the ceiling – spikes appeared. They ripped through the roof of the temple, revealing the same Badnik from before; the aptly named 'Tunnelbot'. It hovered in the air just above them, before gliding down to the floors next. Drilling into the earth, it vanished into a hole, but damaged the temple's infrastructure enough to make the entire area shake and quiver.

Shadow growled as he watched the Tunnelbot make its escape, and was poised to do likewise. But just as he was about to dart out the area with Rouge, the hedgehog redirected his course. Glaring down the hole the Tunnelbot bore, he leaped inside himself.

"What the hell, Shadow!?" Rouge shouted as she watched the area crumble around them, "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

She leaped inside with them, sliding down the hole on her rump, while Shadow skillfully slid down like a skater. He could see the Tunnelbot right down the hole, moving further and further away from them. He was in hot pursuit though, and began charging an attack to destroy the machine.

"Chaos," he began saying as usual whilst charging a yellow blast, "Spe—what!?"

The Tunnelbot suddenly vanished as it created an entrance into yet another chamber. Shadow fell out of the hole he slid through, landing inside this chamber. Mere moments later, Rouge landed on him, flattening him to the ground.

"Owww... ooohhh..." the bat said as she felt dizzy, "That hurt..."

"Rouge..." a muffled voice from underneath suddenly called, "Get... off..."

"Huh? Wha? Shadow? Sorry..."

She stood up soon after and grabbed his hand, pulling him upon his feet. He stood there, somewhat dazed, then shook his head to calm his wooziness. Gazing over to Rouge, she looked back, then together they looked around to the area they were trapped in. It was massive and ancient, much like any other building in Marble Garden Zone. Its ceiling was curved however, and far more detailed in comparison to other temples. The walls were painted with ancient hieroglyphics, which represented some fight that happened over centuries ago.

It showed a being, one like a star, facing off against another being, one like the sun. Around them, the seven Chaos Emeralds, though these were far larger than the size of the actual Emeralds. Granted, this could just be artistic expression.

"What's all this...?" Shadow asked as he looked up to the paintings.

"What, don't you know your mythology, Shadow?" Rouge asked.

"I know a few..." he replied as he crossed his arms, "Though I've never been one for fairy tales..."

"Ugh... clearly, this depicts the ancient battle between Enerjak – the echidna God of power – and the Starman – the echidna god of judgment. They warred somewhere over the Chaos Emeralds and nearly destroyed the war in their tussle. Oh!" she looked over to another hieroglyphic, this one one a massive blue serpent, "And that's-"

" _Chaos_..." Shadow stated, making Rouge stare back at him.

"Yeah... Chaos; so you _do_ know your myths!"

"Well, it _is_ history," Shadow stated, "Chaos is the reason why the echidna race is gone... save for that red fool..." he growled a bit, "Though, there could be the usual stuff. Famine and what not..."

"Chaos... used the seven Chaos Emeralds to take a monstrous form, where he destroyed and killed many of the echidnas save for a small numbers. The backlash of his power caused the entire island to lift into the sky, where it would remain hidden for thousands of years. That's how the story goes, anyway. I used to think of it being nothing more than a silly child's story... until I saw _you_ go super..."

Shadow didn't say anything to Rouge's statement, which had the bat somewhat confused. She expect some kind of response or retort, but he merely nodded as if accepting her words. Turning around, he instead searched for some way out of this temple. That was when the entire zone began to shake again.

"Dammit," Shadow cursed, "That thing is coming back, I know it!"

"But... where...?" Rouge inquired as they got back to back.

The ground continued to shake, until the ceiling of the area shattered into pieces. Once more, the Tunnelbot revealed itself. Its single blue optic glared at the two mobians, it's drills shifting down to impale the duo. Suddenly shooting down with deadly accuracy, it rocketed toward the two, who rolled out of the wave safely.

Skillfully, Shadow countered with a Chaos Spear, though it bounced harmlessly off of the machine's body. He was instead providing cover fire for Rouge, who flew right to the Tunnelbot's face and delivered a kick sending it flying back. It spun around in circles a few times, before aiming its blades down. Flying downward, it dove into the earth, uprooting rocks and dirt. Digging into the ground, it vanished like every other time.

"Is it running again?" Rouge asked as the place rumbled around them.

"I don't think so..." Shadow stated as he looked all around the area, "If it wanted to run away, it would've done so. Why is it suddenly aiming for us? It hasn't done so before..." the ground began to shake more violently, showing it was coming back, "No... it wants us _dead_ now... it's fighting."

 _POW!_

The Tunnelbot returned, flying through the ground quickly. It's constant hole making had caused the entire temple to shake, and it was further weakening the infrastructure. Shadow leaped back as he glared at the Tunnelbot, and started charging up two powerful attacks.

"CHAOS LANCE!" he shouted as he fired two red blasts at the superior Badnik.

These two attacks triggered deadly detonations that sent the Tunnelbot flying back. Through the smog clouds created by his attacks, Rouge flew forward with both feet forward. She struck the machine in the face with her powerful strike, causing it to fly back. But it quickly recoiled, far too fast for Rouge to retreat. Thrusters activated, the machine flew forward and tackled the bat, barely missing her with its twirling drills.

"Get off of her!" Shadow shouted as he landed on the machine, dislodging the bat from its grip.

After the Tunnelbot was sent back, Shadow quickly vanished into a blur. In his speed, he whisked Rouge into his arms and landed upon the ground. He held her tight while she attempted to readjust her senses, then gazed up toward the Tunnelbot. It glared back at him, before pointing its drills skyward. Rotating them, it flew into the ceiling and began digging for a way out.

"Ow, ow, ow..." Rouge said as Shadow put her down, "This is why I don't play football... ow..."

"Rouge..." Shadow mumbled while his eyes gazed to the hole in the ceiling, "I have an idea..."

"And what might that be?" she asked as she looked at him.

"The columns..." he answered, making her raise an eyebrow, "We're going to attack the _columns_."

"Uh, Shadow, that's _stupid!_ " the bat stated, "Attacking the columns will drop this place!"

"I know that..." the hedgehog answered while his gaze sharpened, "We're going to drop this temple on that Badnik."

"But Shadow... all the history here I mean..." she looked away, somewhat hurt by his proposition, "We'll destroy _all_ of it..."

"I know... I don't like doing it anymore than you do... but we have too..."

The Tunnelbot suddenly returned from the ceiling, and the two mobians parted ways. Moving extremely fast, Shadow and Rouge began destroying column after column. They were quick and efficient, and eventually weakened the temple to a wobbling state. The Tunnelbot stopped its chase, as it instead scanned the surrounding areas. On the other end of the small arena, Rouge ran into Shadow's arms. He held her close then glared at the foe, before shining a bright blue color.

"Chaos Control!" he howled, before vanishing.

The Tunnelbot remained inside the quaking area, no longer having a target to fight. It's drills pointed skyward to escape, but large chunks of the temple's ceiling began falling upon it. The aged construct fell piece by piece upon the machine, pushing it further and further to the earth. Visible damaged appeared on the Badnik, with one piece separating its drills. Optic gazing up, the last thing the Tunnelbot saw was a piece of marble falling on its face.

 _Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1._

"OH CRAP! OOF!?"

She almost _always_ met face first with the grass when that happened. Whenever he used Chaos Control, she was flung out if it like a rubber-band, where she'd meet the ground. The first few times she could say were accidents, but when it almost _always_ happens like this, then she was sure he was doing it. Like taking out his hidden aggression on her.

"Sorry about that..." Shadow chuckled while she pulled up, her teal eyes glaring at him.

"For some reason, I don't think so..." the bat growled.

The zone began to shake again, alerting the two. Shadow's rage spiked quickly while he looked too and fro, fully expecting the Tunnelbot to return for another fight. But it wasn't the Badnik who caused the sudden tremors. Right before them, the earth was uprooted. Something large and dome-shaped arose from the ground, with a mighty drill aimed up. The machine continued to rise, until it was fully free of the earth below.

The large spherical machine, the attachments on the outside, and the glass seal; it was an Egg Mobile alright. And sitting at the command seat of the Egg Mobile; does it even need to be said.

"Doctor!" Shadow shouted at the Egg Mobile, his fist shaking.

The dictator himself pulled up in his chair, his eyes gazing down upon Shadow and Rouge. Leaning on his chair, he propped his head up with his fist while the two mobians got battle ready.

"Oh, no, no, no!" he said, his hands shaking, "I'm not here to fight you two, Shadow. I was just wondering if you were having fun on Angel Island so far. I mean, we didn't have enough time to catch up earlier, now did we? Don't you just miss the days when we could talk?"

"CHAOS LANCE!"

Without even waiting, Shadow flung a blast at the doctor. Its mighty explosion shook the area, and covered Robotnik in smog. The Black Wind smiled at the destruction he caused, assured the doctor had been destroyed along with his blast. But when the smoke cleared and the dust settled, Robotnik was still there, hovering just above them.

"Really, Shadow?" the doctor remarked, "Must you always react in such a barbaric manner? I was simply trying to talk to you..."

"I don't know how you survived the Death Egg's explosion, and I don't care," Shadow claimed as he began charging up another attack, "You're life ends here, Eggman!"

"Whaaaaat? You think the Death Egg exploded? _And_ you think that I – the illustrious Dr. Ivo Robotnik – would actually _die_ due too such a thing? You're far more than stupid, Shadow the hedgehog, you're mental capacity is equivalent to that of a baby!"

"Doooctoooor!" Shadow growled, clearly infuriated by the dictator's words, "When I get my hands on you, I'll- wha? Rouge?"

"Dr. Robotnik..." the bat said as she walked ahead of Shadow, "You know, I do believe we were never formally introduced. You always seemed to focus far too much on my gloomy friend here. That's rude."

"Ah, an actually _thinker_ ," the doctor said as he looked at the bat, "Miss Rouge. You're reputation precedes you; tell me while an amazing treasure hunter _and_ G.U.N. agent decides to make a union ship with someone like Shadow the hedgehog?"

"What can I say? I make strange bedfellows sometimes..." the bat said with her usual sultry ways. Then her face grew hard and focused while she glared up to the man, "You know, we can't let you get away with this. Whatever it is you're doing."

"I know..." the doctor said, "It's a shame you two _will_ lose. I was actually starting to enjoy our little bouts. They are so much fun..." he sighed and leaned back into his chair, "But alas, you two are for more trouble than you're worth. I'll be waiting at the end of the zone, you know," the doctor laughed as he began rising, "Because I know your one-tracked minded you idiots are, I'll be waiting!" then his eyes glared red, "JUST TRY AND FACE ME YOU LITTLE BRATS!"

The engines of his machine suddenly ignited, and he flew away at high speeds. Not willing to just let him run off, Shadow and Rouge ran toward him at high speeds. They were now far closer to the forest floor of the zone, being up close and personal with various temples and structures all around them. However, the number of Badniks had seemed to increase.

As they ran along the zone, more Mantis Badniks appeared. The leaped over the hills to hit them, only to be stricken by Shadow's attacks. However, a new type of Badnik began crawling upon the walls. They were spiked, and had rifles on their ends. They aimed at the hedgehog and fired at him, only to be kicked off the wall by Rouge in her flight.

Suddenly a spiked ball came flying their way, forcing the two to part. Shadow watched the ball swing into the air, only to come right back at them with amazing speed and inertia. Grabbing Rouge's hand, he rocketed off to dodge the chain and roared deeper into Marble Garden Zone. He pulled over the corner, coming into an area resembling a town square. All around were ancient buildings and temples, all claimed by time and the forest around them. Not to mention the multiple Badniks and...

"DR. ROBOTNIK!?" Shadow shouted as he leaped up and over.

The maniacal doctor of whom they chased suddenly roared right toward them with his mighty drill aimed in a different direction from before. Now it was on the front end of the Egg Mobile, and he attempted to impale them. Missing thanks to their speed, he flew too high for them to reached and laughed.

"Well darn!" he commented before flying off once more.

"I don't know what game he's playing," Shadow growled, "But it's pissing me off!" the ground began shaking once more, "Urgh! Now what!?"

All around them, the zone began to break and fall apart. Someone must have carved a fault line into the area, with all the earthquakes and tremors that constantly occur. Threatening to bury them alive, Rouge suddenly flew into the area. She grabbed Shadow's arm and gripped it tightly, then flew skyward to dodge the crumbling zone around them.

Rouge flew along the area, watching as it fell apart. But as they moved higher, the wind howled.

"ROUGE WATCH OUT!"

"Huh!? AOW!?"

A hard piece of metal flew right past them, striking the bat in the head. She was immediately rendered unconscious from the clash, and began spiraling to the earth. Shadow quickly grabbed a hold of her instead and ignited his shoes, slowing their descend so they could land on a building. Gazing up, he saw Dr. Robotnik piloting his Egg Mobile, laughing all the while.

"If only I had my drill pointed your way," he stated, "Then she'd be dead!"

"Doctor! Eyah!" Shadow shouted as he fired a Chaos Spear at him, only for the attack to bounce harmlessly off. As expected, "Rouge, Rouge? Rouge are you okay?"

He shook her, but all he got from her was a disturbed and pained moan. Now angered by the pain his friend was suffering, the Black Wind clenched him tightly. Holding her to his chest, he glared up to the retreating doctor, who continued to laugh at them.

His shoes suddenly ignited, and he ran off in chase of the doctor. Gliding along the forest floor at massive speeds, he found his view of the doctor being constricted by the canopies overhead. Shadow growled, right when his runway began to break and rip apart. The hedgehog began leaping between concrete and vines, pushing himself forward with each thrust. He delved deeper and deeper into the zone until...

"Oops!" the hedgehog shouted, his foot on the edge of a mighty cliff, "Great... now what...?"

The ground continued to quake, as a drill began to protrude through the earth. He turned around to see the action, watching as Robotnik and his Egg Mobile tore through the earth. Weakening the ground even further than before, Shadow found the cliff side crumbling into the mighty forest bellow. The hedgehog tried to keep his footing, only for the earth to fail beneath his hold. Suddenly falling down below, he spun around and activated his air shoes. Slowing his descent, he landed on the forest floor below.

"This is pointless!" Shadow shouted whilst looking toward the sky, "Robotnik's just playing a stupid game with us!"

"What's wrong, Shadow?" the doctor's voice called as he hovered into the area, his drill pointing down now, "Is the Egg Mobile-D Mk. III too much for you? You know, you destroyed the original ones on West Side Island, so I had to make one that could destroy you. And, if not you, then at least the zone you stand on!"

"You're insane, Robotnik!"

"I'm insane!? You're the one who keeps fighting even though you know defeat is inevitable! Allow me to show you what I mean, Shadow! You'll be buried alive under this zone!"

His engines flared, and he flew down into the ground. His drill bore into the earth, tearing into it like paper. He uprooted rocks and gravel, but more importantly weakened the plates below. So terribly battered now, the entire zone began to quake from one strike. Or at least, the entire second act.

The temples, trees, and everything around Shadow and Rouge started to fall. The hedgehog dodged them as best he could, while Robotnik arose from the ground. Rising high into the air, he laughed at his foes, who would surely soon be crushed by the falling debris.

"Dammit, Doctor!" Shadow growled as he rushed for the hedgehog.

He ran between falling rocks and stones, leaping between them with skill and speed. Holding tightly only Rouge's silent body, he retained his speed in his chase of the doctor. Stones fell in his way, but he leaped along them, eventually coming upon an ancient road that was carved beautifully. It, however, was falling apart too, forcing Shadow to skate down it at sonic speeds. The doctor had now become nothing but a dot in the sky as he flew up higher.

"Damn you doctor!" Shadow growled as he turned red, "DAMN YOU! CHAOS BLAST!"

More columns fell to cover the two, seemingly crushing them under their mighty weight. But then a red light glowed beneath, and this light shined bright. In the next second, a mighty explosion occurred, destroying the area around the hedgehog. Shadow stared up in the center of the carnage, with a now awakening Rouge in his arms.

"Ow... ow, ow, ow," the bat mumbled as she rubbed her head, "What the...? Shadow, where are we?"

"About to die if you don't start flying soon..." he answered nonchalantly, as usual.

"What!?" she replied before looking to the falling carnage around them.

"I can get us up there," Shadow stated, "But without a Chaos Emerald, I can't keep us flying indefinitely. So you'll have to keep us up there..." then he smiled whilst shining a blue color, "I'll do everything else!"

From head to toe, Shadow was clad in a blue color. His quills started pointing skyward, and even those red eyes of his turned an sky blue. Rouge watched as they began hovering above the ground, while rocks fell all around them. Then Shadow stared up and said,

"Chaos Control!"

 _KERPOW!_

Shadow flew skyward faster than one could blink, then came to a sudden stop right then and there. Hovering above the entirety of Marble Garden Zone, he gazed ahead to see a certain Egg Mobile flying right beside them.

"What!? You!" Robotnik growled while Shadow's blue hue died out.

"Rouge..." the hedgehog said simply as they started to fall.

"Oh, right... you know my head still hurts, right?"

She quickly flapped her wings and grabbed his hand, then took the sky, while Robotnik hovered close to them. The doctor was stunned to see both mobians still alive, not to mention incredibly angry. But he didn't let that rage last. He tightened his red tie around his neck then looked at the hedgehog, a devilish smile on his lips and a red gleam in his eyes.

"Okay, Shadow," the doctor said, "It's a dog fight you're after, is it? I'll have you know this is not a fight you have any chances of winning!"

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you, doctor," the Black Wind stated.

He suddenly leaped off of Rouge's grasp, then rocked forward with a homing speeds. He slammed into the doctor's glass dome then bounced off, where Rouge grabbed his hand. They flew up high while the doctor cursed, only to suddenly flew higher.

And then there he was again! Flying right from behind them. His drill aimed towards them, spiraling and threatening to impale the two. Shadow, shocked by this, quickly charged a Chaos Spear and flung it at him. The attack bounced off however, and Rouge quickly increased her speed. Grabbing Shadow by both hands, she suddenly flipped him up into the air. He hovered there for a moment, before homing in on the doctor once more. The strike sent him down and sent Shadow up, who was easily caught by Rouge once more.

The doctor slammed his fist on his controls, then his thrusters ignited. Dashing ahead of the two, he nearly struck Rouge who merely grunted. Shadow on the other hand glared at the doctor, and scoffed at him.

"This game of tag is boring..." Shadow stated, while the howl of engines echoed into his ears, "I'm ending this..."

The doctor was beneath them, flying up with his mighty drill poised to kill. Shadow gazed down, then suddenly turned red. Rouge relinquished his hold on him, while he fell toward the doctor. Fist raised high, he charged his next punch full of his own Chaos Energy. The doctor grew wide eyed, and Shadow roared out.

"HEEEYAAAAH!"

His fist slammed into the Egg Mobile's body, causing power to surge from the center point. Shadow's powerful attack sent power running into the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II's entire body. Explosions riddled the entire body, causing destruction and surrounding the entire Egg Mobile in a blazing ball of fire.

"DAAAAAAAMMMMNNN YOOOOUUUU SHAAAADDOOOOWWW!" the doctor roared as he flew down toward Marble Garden Zone, where he eventually vanished.

Shadow smiled at the sight, before the sudden excess use of his Chaos Power took its toll on his body. He nearly fainted, but was scooped up into the arms of Rouge, bridal style. Shadow gazed over to the teal-eyed bat, who winked back at him cutely.

"Hey handsome," she said to him, "Tired yourself out at the reception? I could've sworn it's supposed to be the groom who caries the bride under the threshold..."

"Shut up," Shadow snarled as he leaned back, making her giggle.

She could have landed at any moment, but decided not too. Instead, they continued to glide far above the zone, and off into the distance. There were two reasons behind this. Number 1, Rouge wasn't sure if the zone was safe enough to stand on again. And reason number 2, she just kinda liked this. She just kinda liked holding Shadow in her arms, like he was some sort of pet.

"I went to aptly named Death Ruins Zone once," Rouge stated as she held onto him, "I was looking for treasure, you know, as usual. It was kinda scary there. So many dark abysses, it's almost impossible to get through. I did find some jewels and... was on my way home. Flying out of the zone, the sun was setting. I spent a few hours there. Hm... this place reminded me of it..."

"Marble Zone..." Shadow answered, "The first time I fought Robotnik when I got through Marble Zone, the sun was setting. I made my way to Springyard, and the sun was still going down. I remember pushing myself a tad bit _too_ hard that day. It was the first time I fought him, the first time I went on an adventure of this caliber so... I remember when I first got into Spring Yard Zone, then I looked over my shoulder to Marble Zone. The sun was setting right behind me. It was..." his face grew hard and he crossed his arms. Looking over to Rouge, he softened up a bit, "You can let me down now, Rouge."

"Nah," she said, "I can keep going. Let's see what's next."

She continued to glide and fly off into the distance, while the sun set behind them. It slowly lowered, eventually darkening the sky in night. And then stars.

 _Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 2._

…

 _Crack... Crack... Crack... CRACK!_

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Her hand poked through the ground, tearing through the concrete and grass with a mighty punch. She pulled herself up then, revealing a blonde woman in business formal. Her clothing torn and split with rocks and grass on it, and her face was only scratched and stained. Other than that, she appeared to be okay.

"Like... ow..." the woman said, before rubbing her head.

She stared up soon after, seeing the stars overhead. It was all beautiful, and gleamed so bright. She absolutely adored the stars.

"Maria!" a voice called, making her straighten up.

She turned around, where she saw a certain doctor in a certain Egg Mobile fly toward her. It was clear he was in a battle, because he appeared sightly singed, and the extra armaments of his vehicle were destroyed. But he was just as okay as she was.

"Ivo!" she answered as she ran up to him, before suddenly tripping up.

As she did so, the woman fell over. Landing on a particularly nasty jagged piece of rock, her arm _separated_ from the rest of her body. It bounced a few feet before stopping at the Egg Mobile, where the doctor descended from it. Stepping out his machine, he picked up the arm then looked up to the blonde woman. She rubbed the area where her arm once stood then looked up to the doctor, who smiled back down.

"I see your walk was eventful," he claimed as he placed the mechanical arm back onto her shoulder socket, slamming it in place, "Did you have fun?"

"I did, Ivo, I did," she said as she smiled up at him, "Ah... I think I over did it a little, however."

"I believe we're both suspect of that charge," he answered before laughing, "Anyway... where's the Flying Battery?"

"It's already here, Ivo..."

He looked up to the night sky, where the mighty airship suddenly descended into the area. The doctor smiled before climbing back into his Egg Mobile. Maria climbed into the machine as well, and then together they flew into their flagship.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _I guess you can say I kinda took a break there. Hm._

 _Anyway, we run through Marble Garden Zone, the largest Zone in all of Sonic 3 and the only Zone with no water in it whatsoever! Astonishing, ain't it!? I love this zone, I really do. The music, the sights, the sound of that giant metal spiked ball swinging left a lasting impression on me as a child. It was also incredibly difficult for me as a child, and I got lost often. But now, as a man, I think I can handle the zone quite easily._

 _Just so you know, Maria was inside the Tunnelbot, which is why she's climbing out at the end of the chapter. I wanted to show that Maria is in fact a robot, or more likely and android, which is how her arm just pops off. Also, unlike the last story, she's far far more battle ready, and Dr. Robotnik isn't about to just let her sit idly by if she can do damage in her own way. I love it!_

 _Ya'know, having Maria in this more active role reminds me of another fanfic of mine; Maria Robotnik: Agent of G.U.N. She even calls Robotnik 'Ivo' in this story like the last one._

 _Anyway, the next chapter is going to be something. I'm not sure if I want to do Carnival Night Zone, or Balloon Park Zone first. I will get through both, however. I'm gonna be thinking!_

 _Rouge holding Shadow bridal style seems cute in my head. I can just imagine him appearing all stone faced and angry with a blush on, and Rouge laughing. Hah, hah._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	6. Carnival Nightfall Zone

Carnival Nightfall Zone

"I'm intrigued, Doctor..." the blonde said as she brushed hair from her face, "Data given to me has returned. Knuckles has – on average – bested Shadow each time they've met..." she looked over her chair to him, "Let me bring it up on screen..."

The doctor leaned back in his command chair, while his red eyes peered up to the screen. The image on said screen showed two mobians; a certain hedgehog, and a certain echidna. The doctor cocked his head at the image while his assistant walked over to the screen.

"Let me show you this," she stated, "Compared to the two, Knuckles is physically more power but slower. Shadow has more capable abilities when it comes to commanding Chaos, though Knuckles has the abilities to neutralize said powers. Both of them are very adept fighters with their own skills, years of experience, and dedication, as well with their own signature prowess; Shadow in his speed, Knuckles in his raw physical power."

"Tell me, Maria, what answers has your analysis provided?"

"Weeeeelll... it's a 50/50 chance of victory on both sides. No matter how many times I go over the information, I seemingly cannot come up with who is more capable."

"But you did say that, on average, Knuckles has bested Shadow."

"Yes, I did, Ivo," she answered, "And the answer to this is simple. Knuckles get's one more percent of victory thanks to his knowledge of the zones on Angel Island. So long as they fight on Angel Island, the chances of chances of Knuckles' victory is 51 to Shadow's 49."

"So... as long as they fight in an area Knuckles knows of, he will win?" Robotnik inquired.

"Not really. The chances are incredibly close, Ivo; Shadow's chances of victory are just as grew if the tide turns in even the slightest. But, yes, if it's on a familiar zone and not an even plain, Knuckles' can potentially best Shadow."

"Where is Knuckles now?"

"On his way to Carnival Night Zone as you instructed me to send him..."

"Let's test your theory, Maria. I want them to fight."

"Indeed, Ivo," she claimed as she walked to her machine, "Allow me."

…

There are many ruins on Angel Island. The ruins of Marble Garden Zone represent the zones owned by the Knuckles Tribe. The aged and final survivors of the Chaos Incident. But on the other side, there's _their_ establishment. By this day and age, we know them as the Fourth Great Civilization. Ancient tomes and even modern history will tell you they mysteriously vanished.

To the red echidna who calls the island home, he knows them as the _Nocturnus Tribe_. And this was only _one_ of their last – but _mighty –_ remaining strongholds.

 _Knuckles has entered Carnival Night Zone_.

It was a massive city, but unlike any other city on the island, this one was far more advanced. Modern skyscrapers struck the sky, as highways, roads, ramps, and various other devices placated the entire zone. But for many years, practically every year of his life, the entire zone was silent. But times were different now; the island was being invaded. Invaded by a demon and his seductive ally.

All of Casino Night Zone was operating. Lights spilled from every bulb placed around the mighty city. The various machines that twisted and churned kept the zone going, all of its once thought dead devices now worked like they had been turned on for the first time, and the general feel of the zone was unlike anything he had experienced before.

Some childlike glee ran through the red echidna then as he walked through the roads, his runs slowing considerably. He wished most to inspect the zone, gaze at it in a different way compared to the other times. Learn something new as he saw power run through it for the first time. But he had a mission; _they_ would be there soon.

Knuckles gazed skyward. From what Maria told him, the Black Wind and his ally would be coming from the west. From where he stood, he peered into the distance with his hard eyes. He could see something hovering through the city, something unlike anything else. It didn't appear to be any of the doctor's machines. After glaring a tad harder, he realized it was a bat.

 _Shadow and Rouge have entered Carnival Night Zone_.

"Now this is different..." Shadow commented as Rouge's feet brought them to land on the ground.

"You're telling me..." Rouge replied as she looked around the area, "All of this seems so out of place. Have we landed back in Casino Night Zone or is that just me? A large carnival here? Of all places? Doesn't feel right..."

"Rouge..."

"Yes?"

"Could you put me down, please?"

"Oh, sorry."

He sat down on the ground and immediately crossed his arms, eyes gazing out over the zone they landed in. From the natural ruination of Marble Garden Zone, to the hyper advanced age of technology that was Carnival Night Zone; this adventure was turning out to be something different. It didn't take Shadow long for him to figure out who was the cause of such a zone.

"This has Doctor Robotnik written all over it..." Shadow commented as he uncrossed his arms, "I'm pretty sure there's an animal capsule somewhere in all this mess. Or some massive kind of Egg Mobile..."

"Become pretty genre savvy, have we Shadow?"

He simply rolled his eyes. The next second his air shoes flared and he took off, Rouge right behind him. They bowled through the zone, before the very first trap fell out for them. Rouge's wings opened as she came to a sudden halt, while Shadow fell right over a small incline. As soon as he vanished however, he reappear in the middle of the air. Confusion was wrought upon his face while he bounced on – what appeared to be – _air_.

"Mmmhhhmhhhmhmm!" Rouge giggled, "Having fun, Shadow?"

"Don't patronize me!" _DONG!_ "WHAT THE!?"

His flung body suddenly hit a bumper of some sort, for now he was flung somewhere else with mighty force. Rouge held her gut to keep her laughter in place before flapping her wings. Flying into the air, she flew toward Shadow who was now bouncing between various bumpers, with seemingly no end in sight. One said bounce suddenly threw Shadow face first into the ground, where he grew incredibly silent.

"Are you okay, Shadow?" Rouge asked in a somewhat teasing manner.

"Don't start..." he grumbled with his face into the ground, before he pulled himself up, "Ugh... I hate Springyard Zones..."

"What?"

"Don't think too hard on it..."

He stood up and brushed his legs and chest free of whatever dirt he got from being flung through the air. Though his head roared with pain from the blow he sustained, he instead peered off into the distance. There had to be some method to this zone's madness, some center point to get a good look at the zone around. Staring through the glitzy lit zone, he found one tower that stood tall compared to the rest. It also owned various runways and highways that ran into the building and out.

He darted for the building, a stunned Rouge doing likewise a mere second or two later. The red and white painted zone around them began to blur with all its lights and sound, before this deranged runway appeared floating in the air. The strange machines resonated something which caused an anti-gravity effect, allowing and individual to hover above the ground. Shadow, being fast as usual, suddenly ran on the machines, the anti-gravity effect tossing him up.

Rouge checked the machine herself by hovering her hand above the pad, watching as it pushed her back up. Swallowing her spit, she stepped onto the panel. Feeling that same weightlessness that took Shadow, she hovered up into the air. It was different from her usual flight; she didn't need to flap her wings to remain in midair.

"Damn these!" Shadow grunted, clearly annoyed that the weightlessness forced him into a constant spiraling fit, "I can't stop it! Urgh!"

"Just calm down, Shadow," Rouge replied as she suddenly flew and caught him, "It's nothing we haven't dealt with before. Gosh, you can act like such a child sometimes!"

He opened his mouth to give some sort of rude retort, but grew silent instead. Instead he allowed Rouge to pull him through the anti-gravity section, simply waiting for them to touch upon land once more. But then his red eyes stared up, to see something equally red flying back down at them.

 _Knock, Knock it's Knuckles_.

Shadow suddenly kicked up his feet, placing them on Rouge's chest. Then with a mighty press, he knocked her away from him, while at the same time propelling himself forward. All of this happened in extremely fast; almost too fast to see. What was at first confusion for being kicked by her friend, turned into major confusion when a red blur rammed through the line of anti-gravity devices, destroying them and ruining the bridge's magnetic equilibrium.

Shadow landed on solid ground while the machines which distorted gravity all shut off in unison. With wings flapping, Rouge remained in the air, her eyes on the hole carved into the ground far below.

"What was that!?" Rouge shouted as she and Shadow stared into the hole together.

Deep in the carve of destruction, a certain red echidna stood. He was basked in the darkness of the zone's underlying underground, but his purple eyes seemed to gleam despite it all. While Rouge couldn't see them, Shadow could. And he realized they were looking dead at him. The being inside quickly darted away, surely to make trouble for them later on.

"Dammit! That was Knuckles!" Shadow shouted as he slammed his fist on the ground.

"Great, he's here again?" Rouge asked as she crossed her arms and landed near him, "He seems to be out for blood this time."

"Let him challenge me; I'll put him in his place!" Shadow claimed before dashing away.

There were these large spiraling red and white runways that jutted from one part of the act to the other. They were like large candy-canes, and running upon them caused the user to spiral around the massive tube-like machine.

One the sides of the zones they ran through, there laid these small Badniks. Blue and clam-shaped, they appeared sealed off to the outside world. Then their mouths opened, revealing gun barrels. As Shadow and Rouge ran past, they fired upon the two mobians, raining led on their positions. The Black Wind's fingers glowed yellow as he cast off a Chaos Spear, one which sliced through the Badniks, destroying them one by one.

"Uh, Shadow! A little help here!" Rouge cried, making him turn around.

He turned around, eyes on his ally. The bat was sky-high, being tugged around by smaller little bat creatures. Bat _Badniks_ , it would seem. They were black, traveled in swarms, and had gleaming light bulbs attached to the bottom. Rouge was in the center of the flying mess, delivering kicks at the Badniks, only to have dispatched ones replace with new ones.

Suddenly a yellow blur homed through the Badniks, destroying most of them with one strike. In midair, Shadow's fingers surged with power, power which he used to summon rays of lightning to destroy the swarm of Badniks.

He landed upon the ground shortly after, Rouge landed right beside him. First the zone's weird machinery, then Knuckles, and now Badniks? All of this reminded Shadow how much he hates crowded places like carnivals or casinos. He began running soon after to get a move on through the madness; the sooner they got out the place, the sooner they could get on to less insane places.

Back on the runways, the hedgehog rushed toward the building which appeared to be in the center of it all. All he needed was a vantage point to gaze around to the zone around, to get a clear view of where they traveled. He darted for the zone again with Rouge behind him, plowing through the various shines and lights the act had to offer.

They barreled for the massive building up and high, taking runways that stretched up into the building's sides. The closer they got, the higher in the zone they became, where in which from the onset the two mobians they could stare to the massive zone they traversed through. Act 1 appeared to hold archecture that didn't resemble Robotnik's, Shadow could tell. After going through enough Zones under Robotnik's oppression, he knew the difference between an Eggman Industries Zone and something far more _natural_.

For one thing, the Badnik presence would be far more notable. Either the Badniks in question would be few but strong, or numerous but weak. This seemed to be neither; few Badniks, all are weak. He needed to stop to consider the situation they were in, as well as the situation Robotnik was in. He dropped the Death Egg, he destroyed it. But somehow, in someway, the doctor still had enough time and resources to construct Badniks regardless. But how?

This simple adventure to push Angel Island back into the sky became yet another embittered battle between Shadow and Robotonik. But things appeared to be different. The overwhelming presence of the echidna race seemed to glow around them.

"Do you know what the Nocturnus tribe is, Shadow?" Rouge asked, noticing Shadow's interest in the zone, "They were known as the Fourth Great Civilization. A tribe of powerful echidnas with technology far, far, _far_ too advanced for their time. You know they created the Gizoids, right?"

"Gizoids?"

"Never mind..." Rouge laughed, "I think the Nocturnus tribe put this all here. You can't see it, but all of it seems pretty... _old_ , if you ask me. Like, _four thousand_ years old. But, hey, that's just kinda me... the Nocturnus tribe suddenly vanished from the planet for seemingly no reason. Shortly after, the rest of the echidna's disappeared after their god punished them. But if the echidna race vanished long ago, then who's this Knuckles guy."

"Do you think Knuckles is apart of the Nocturnus tribe?"

"I can't say for sure," Rouge said, "He could be but... if he was, he sure doesn't show it. There's something... _Mayan_ about him, if I do say so myself," her eyes settled into somewhat of a glare, "There's something about Knuckles, Shadow. He's actively trying to kill us, if you haven't noticed that yet. But... he trusts Robotnik. After all, how else would he know who we are unless the doctor tricked him. My only question is why?"

"I don't care why," Shadow said, somewhat off-putting, "Anyone who's helping Robotnik is my enemy. If he gets in our way again – which I'm sure he will – I will not hesitate to end him..."

"Yeah... I thought you'd say something like that..."

Shadow turned around then ran into the building, Rouge following close behind. Upon entering it, the duo rushed down a long, almost unending hallway. They ran and ran and ran, before coming to the end. The exit was a large circular disc of a room, with the floor being green and yellow blocks placed together. The walls were blinking with lights and circuity among other things, giving it a very unfinished look. Something about this place just didn't feel right.

 _BAM!_

Shadow's eyes grew wide, in unison with Rouge's. Turning over, they gazed to the pathway they entered in from; the hall was suddenly shut. A large metallic door kept it enclosed, allowing no exit. Further inspection showed there was no other exit on the rest of this large floor, meaning they were trapped.

"Well I could've seen this one coming..." Rouge commented while Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Give me a few seconds..." the hedgehog bemoaned as he readied an attack, "Chaos... huh?"

The lights suddenly began flashing while the entire platform started moving down. Shadow walked to the center of the floor, realizing it was a massive elevator. Instead of bringing him up – like he would prefer – the machine was bringing him down. His eyes drifted up.

And there laid a machine. Slowly, steadily, hovering in the air. From the shadows of the ceiling, he watched as it descended upon them. A strange green machine with a long silver, cylinder phallic instrument stretching from the device. Yeah, it was _very_ suggestive. Especially how said instrument had a spiked tip at the end of its 'head'.

"Wow..." Rouge said as she looked up at the machine, her head cocked to one side, "It's kinda... _girthy_. Don'tya think, Shadow?"

"Uhhh... just shut up..." he said back before taking a battle pose, "I'm getting sick and tired of these fights..."

It's name, the Bowling Spin. An Eggman Industries machine charged with only one true objective; exterminating Shadow the hedgehog. Simply put, just about every high-class Badnik on this island is out to kill him. He was used to it by now.

From the ceiling, a bolt of electricity shot down and slammed into the machine. Hitting it on its head, the small power plant on its back was instantly charged with external power. The spiked top on the bottom of its body began spinning wildly, electricity started surging through its power rods, and a single unblinking optic came online on the machine's head. Said eye almost immediately focused on Shadow, and the spinning top on its body launched off.

At incredible speeds, the top slammed into the ground, destroying the blocks below. It then bounced up and and slammed into the wall, where it bounced off again. At high speeds, the bladed top began to glide along the ground, while the Bowling Spin started charging more electricity.

Shadow leaped up and over the spinning top as it glided toward him, and Rouge did likewise. She flew into the air to further dodge the top, but then it bounced off the walls to head toward her. Flying back she dodged the blade, while Shadow shifted his attentions to the Bowling Spin itself.

By now, flinging Chaos Spears had become more of an experimental practice than an actual attack. After all, most high ranking Badniks would simply deflect his attacks. This one was worse.

Shadow tossed his Chaos Spear at the Bowling Spin, expecting another reflection. Instead, the metallic rods on its head attracted the spear, giving it an even increased charge. Now empowered by Shadow's attack, the machine fired a mighty electrical blast at the hedgehog. He leaped clear of the attack, but even more of the floor had been destroyed by the attack.

"Shadow, are you okay?" Rouge asked as she landed next to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." he answered before glaring back up to the machine.

The spinning top flew for them, but the mobians leaped back. The strike to the ground destroyed even more of the platform, sending it crumbling below. Shadow curled into a ball and performed a spin dash, flying right into the machine. Upon hitting its 'head', said 'head' opened up, growing longer in the process. In its stretched state, it began surging with electrical power.

"Now this is just gross..." Shadow said, a warm blush on his face.

"C'mon, Shadow, you're a guy, right?" Rouge said in a teasing and girlish manner, "This is something you should be used to."

"Ugh! Just shut up!"

His strike didn't bother the machine however, as it instead appeared to be charging up yet another attack. With his homing attacking seemingly serving no purpose, Shadow leaped away to put more distance between himself, the Bowling Spin, and the spin itself.

It didn't take the two to put two and two together; the doctor had a very particular way of designing machines, after all. If he himself couldn't hurt the machine, then the machine could very clearly hurt itself.

But the spinning top struck the machine, only to bounce off harmlessly. Shadow growled at the sight, but came up with yet another idea. And, unfortunately, it involved striking the machine's 'instrument'. Sometimes life doesn't prepare you enough for things.

"Rouge, I have an idea..."

"And what might that be?" the bat inquired.

"Get on the spinning top and drive it into the machine."

"And where?"

"You'll see... I'll make an opening..."

Shadow pulled in his arm, where he immediately began charging up another Chaos Spear. However, this one was far stronger than the one he charged before. Rouge flew into the air while the spinning top flew toward them. Grunting she flew for it quickly. Dodging the blades of the top just barely, she planted her feet on the top as it flew past them. She held on tightly, not allowing it to toss her off, then commandeered the weapon like it were some sort of board. Shadow however kept charging this spear, while the Bowling Spin moved to his position. The hedgehog smiled.

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

Two fingers pointed at the Bowling Spin, and he unleashed a surge of power at the machine. A powerful surge of electricity flowed from his fingertips and slammed into the Bowling Spin, and like the other times, the machine opened up. He kept unloading power on the machine while Rouge redirected the course of its spin. Instead, she aimed the bladed top right for the machine instead. They were on a deadly collision course, right when Rouge leaped off.

The bladed top ripped through the Bowling Spin's opened defenses, easily destroying the instrument it used to attack. An explosion roared through the entire machine, catching it ablaze. At the same time, Rouge flew back. The explosion continued to riddled the device, before capturing it whole.

The bat landed on the ground safely shortly after, her eyes on the Bowling Spin. It fell into pieces on the ground after it could no longer sustain flight, while the entire elevator came to a slow stop. It slowed, and slowed, and slowed, before coming to a complete halt.

"Well now, that was interesting..." Rouge said as everything came to a stop, "Hey Shadow, how are you? Shadow? Shadow!"

"I'm under here..." the hedgehog replied before suddenly pulling himself, revealing the Bowling Spin fell on him, "Ugh... I hate this sometimes..." then he closed his legs over his crotch, while another blush came to him, "I... I never want to speak of this Badnik ever again."

"Sure thing, Shadow," she said with a wink, her hand on his to pull him free of the machine.

 _Shadow and Rouge have completed Act 1_.

They didn't wait much longer, instead blasting off at sonic speeds as they took the nearest exit on the base floor of this building. They rushed at a somewhat leisurely pace; well, leisurely for them. When light appeared, their speeds increased as they took off for the exit. But it only took a few seconds for them to come to a halt as they exited the building...

To enter an entirely different _zone._ Or at least what felt like a different zone. The first half of Carnival Night Zone was bright and vibrant, with lights everywhere and general feeling of glee. The second half – while incredibly lit – showed a gloomy sight. Water had submerged half the zone, leaving no sight of the roads beneath. Nature appeared to have gained most of the zone's life, with buildings turned over, vines growing, and this dreadful feeling of degradation. Age had destroyed whatever life this act once owned. It looked as if four thousand years had taken this zone's once vibrant life, unlike the first act.

"Well now... this is quite the change," Rouge commented.

"You're telling me," the hedgehog answered, his eyebrows furrowing, "It's kinda disheartening, really but..."

Instead of finishing his sentence, he leaped down into the zone below, landing on a crumbled runway. Rouge leaped down behind him, where they stared into the ruinous carnival. Not intent on simply taking in the sights (what few there were), Shadow darted into the zone with sonic speeds.

His red eyes remained dead ahead as he skated through, keeping his mind focus on hunting own Robotnik. However, there was this sound he couldn't quite fight out his head. Something that sounded like the pitter-patter of water. But that wasn't right; despite water being on both sides, he nor Rouge were running on them. He found his gaze moving over to his right, where the sound seemed to resonate from.

And there was _Knuckles_.

 _BAM!_

The echidna came flying through the wall beside him, rushing along the water with a powerful shoulder bash to Shadow's side. The impact threw both he and Knuckles over the edge of the runway, causing them to crash into a perfectly wide plain. Shadow skidded to a halt on his chest while Knuckles slid to his feet, his fists immediately raised. As he did so, Shadow glared up to the echidna, both stunned and angered by the sudden attack.

"Shadow, are you okay!?" Rouge asked as she ran up behind the hedgehog, who struggled to his feet.

She walked up to check on him, but he held out her hand to halt any further action. Instead, Shadow glared over at Knuckles, once more stunned by the echidna's appearance.

"Knuckles, right...?" Shadow asked, to which the echidna nodded ever so slightly, "Yeah... I've been wondering about you. So, what, huh? Did the doctor trick you with his words? He's a wily one he is..."

"Robotnik told me you'd try to trick me with lies," he stated, "So there's no point in attempting to do so..." his eyes settled into a glare, "You escaped me the last time in Hydrocity Zone, Black Wind. I intend on finishing what I started there!"

"You idiot," Shadow growled, his fists raised now, "Robotnik is only using you! Only a fool would listen to him!"

"The one known as Maria..." Knuckles replied, making Shadow's voice get caught in his throat, "Told me of the horrors you've performed. How on your home land far below, you abused the powers of the Chaos Emerald to enslave entire islands! She told me how you fully plan on coming to my island to take the Master Emerald! I will protect the Master Emerald!"

"The... Master Emerald..." Rouge whispered to herself, stunned by the revelation.

"Maria..." Shadow repeated, before his rage returned, "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, and I've already lost my patience for such a thing! If you decide to be an idiot and listen to Robotnik, that's your own downfall! But I am not without mercy..." his stance grew stricter, and his red eyes glared at his red foe, "If you leave now, I'll allow you to live."

"Funny that," Knuckles stated as his fists raised higher, strengthening his boxer's stance, "I was just about to say the same thing!"

 _This is what you wanted to see, is it not, Ivo?_

 _What's the chances of victory, Maria?_

 _In this zone? As long as they stay on this even plain, then it should be about 50/50._

 _Then we shall put to test your theory, dear._

"HEEEYAAAAH!"

With one massive punch to the earth, Knuckles caused the entire zone to crumble. The area they fought in suddenly shifted beneath their toes, causing Rouge to fly in the air while Shadow's footing was slightly lost. He found it hard to keep himself standing while the ground split and cracked under his toes, all the while Knuckles ran for him. He delivered a punch, only for the Black Wind to vanish in a sudden blur. Upon returning, his foot slammed onto the echidna's back, sending him crashing into the earth.

"Here we go," Shadow commented as he immediately charged a powerful attack whilst in midair, "CHAOS SPEAR!"

A massive blast of yellow chaotic energy flowed from Shadow's arm and to the red echidna below. Knuckles braced himself for an impact unlike any other. But then he put out his arms, as if intending to deflect said blast. Shadow scoffed at such a sight; the blast was strong enough to destroy a school of Badniks, let alone one mobian.

But then Knuckles' fist glowed a green color. The massive Chaos Spear slammed into his hands, only to be forced back by the echidna's might. Grunting and growling, the echidna slowly started to rip the Chaos Spear asunder. The blast was steadily pulled apart, before finally being torn in two, where the deadly blast dissipated into nothing.

"What the?" Shadow commented as he landed on the ground, stunned by the action.

Instead, Knuckles slammed his fist on the ground again. But this time, instead of destroying the zone's weakened form, he threw himself at the hedgehog before him. His head slammed into Shadow's chest, throwing both some yards away. However, the Black Wind recoiled first, where his feet kicked into the echidna's chest, sending him away.

But the echidna spun around in the air, and his dreadlocks opened up. Catching the wind with his hair, he seemingly hovered in place. Those purple eyes of his hardened into knives while he pulled back, landing on one of the zone's suspended runways.

"Judgment!" Knuckles shouted as his hand reached to the sky, "Bolt!"

The echidna slammed his foot onto the ground, causing a light tremor. In doing so, a burning beam of light shot from the sky. Howling thunder echoed as lightning struck Knuckles' outstretched hand. Limb cackling with energy, he flung a powerful bolt of seemingly unending lightning Shadow's way.

But the Black Wind would not be outdone. His own hand quickly cackled with lightning as he fired a powerful Chaos Spear in response. Two bolts of chaotic energy struggled with one another, with seemingly both sides unable to best the other.

Rouge landed on the ground, her teal eyes watching the fight. Her heart raced from such a sight, while her arm tried to block out the blinding flashes. All her life, she only knew Shadow was capable of such things. But here was this echidna with powers similar to her friend, matching him with just as much ferocity. A stunning revelation came to Rouge that moment in time.

Shadow had an _equal_.

Lightning from their clashing strikes became to wild to control and concentrate on for both sides. These bolts jolted around and slammed into the zone around them, causing explosions to riddle all around them. One such bolt however struck something important, for all the lights in Carnival Night Zone began to flicker. And after a minute or two of this, everything grew as dark and as silent as the night sky.

From the sudden black out, both Shadow and Knuckles found their focus on the situation waning. The mistake would prove detrimental for both. Their attacks were able to miss the other blast in a split second, sending powerful streams of Chaos power flinging both ways. Knuckles' Judgment Bolt slammed into Shadow's chest, pinning him to the ground whilst electrocuting him. At the same time, Shadow's Chaos Spear jammed into Knuckles' chest, the impact not only causing a searing pain, but throwing him far away.

"Ah, Shadow, are you okay?" Rouge asked as she landed near him, checking his body.

"Urgh! I'm... fine!" he shouted back, though his pained voice and weakened body language said otherwise, "Knuckles! Where's Knuckles!?"

"He's..." she turned and gazed away into the dark zone, "He's not here... but I don't know if he'll be gone for long. Shadow, we need to get you some helped."

"If Knuckles is here," Shadow growled as he wobbled to his feet, feeling weak and pained, "Then I'm not running! Ack!?"

He fell down into her arms, to which Rouge shook her head. This was slowly becoming a constant thing between the two; he'd overwork his body to near death, and she'd have to carry him off. But at least she could forgive him for this; Knuckles is far more powerful a foe than they originally believed.

"Rouge, where are we going?" Shadow growled as she pulled him off.

"Away from here so I can tend to your wounds," she stated, "I'm getting sick and tired of this, Shadow. Honestly, you need to stop acting so childish!"

 _I told you._

 _Interesting; they bested each other._

 _Knuckles and Shadow's skills are so equal, it would seem one simply cannot best the other. Not without both sustaining serious – maybe fatal – injuries. However..._

 _However?_

 _You must remember Shadow wasn't at top percentage. He faced off against the Bowling Spin at the tower. This data is essentially flawed._

 _So you are saying that – at the top of their game – Shadow would win?_

 _Not exactly... Knuckles has the ability to deactivate Chaos Powers, as seen when he deactivated Super Shadow. And yet he refused to do so here. Both of them were holding back; Shadow after his fight with the Bowling Spin, and Knuckles for undetermined reasons. However... flawed data is still usable data._

 _Indeed it is. Maria?_

 _Yes, Ivo?_

 _Activate the Egg Mobile-G._

 _The Gravitation Mobile? Do you plan on piloting it, Ivo?_

 _No, I've had my fill for the night. Oh, and Maria, after activating it, please do send our dear boy Knuckles a message._

 _Yes, Dr. Robotnik._

 _And ready my dinner for me._

 _Yes, Ivo!_

 _Carnival Night Zone complete._

 _Shadow and Rouge are now entering Balloon Park Zone_.

…

His large hand laid on his chest, rubbing it to soothe the pain he suffered. Struggling to his feet, the red-furred echidna gave a hard cough of pain. That Chaos Spear to his chest really hurt, almost to the point of _killing_ him. Had he been anyone else, he was sure it would have, in fact. But the Guardian of the Master Emerald had not yet fallen; he could keep going. Struggling to his feet in the darkened zone, Knuckles glanced over to where he battled Shadow. The area was devoid of life; the Black Wind and his sultry partner were gone.

The thought of chasing them did cross Knuckles' mind, but the cons out-weighed the pros. The hedgehog may have been weak, but that bat would surely put up a fight. There was no doubting that. He needed to tend to his wounds, meaning he was off to another zone.

The echidna clenched his chest as he began running off. Running through the ruins of Carnival Night Zone, he sought the teleporter which would bring him to his next destination. But as he ran, he noticed a gleaming light in the distance. It sat there, appearing somewhat angelic, as it glowed in the darkness. His path shifted to run to said light, which hovered ominously before him. He nearly slipped on the wet-slicked ground upon arriving in the area, while the light took form.

She was a woman. Business formal, blonde hair, wonderful blue eyes. The angelic shine she was surrounded in gave her some sort of _heavenly_ appearance. Not to mention that smile, which seemed so caring and gentle.

"Maria?" Knuckles said as he walked up to her.

"Hello, Knuckles," she said with this charm only she could muster, "You're injured, Knuckles. That's terrible..."

"The Black Wind did this to me," he stated, "He is every bit as powerful as you claim him to be. But I could've defeated him, had I not messed up."

"Enough of that; you did well, Knuckles," her hand fell on his shoulder, "You should be proud of that."

He cocked his head in confusion at the woman, not really used to being told such a thing. There was a stark difference between Ivo and Maria, something he had learned. And, honestly, he'd far rather be visited by Maria than her cousin.

"Why have you visited me, Maria?" he asked, causing her to pull her hand back.

"The day of reckoning is close upon us," she claimed, "Thanks to you delivering the Chaos Emeralds to us, Chaos' Egg will soon be free of Angel Island. However, we are sure Shadow and Rouge are heading that way right now to stop us. We need your help to defend Launch Base Zone from attack."

He looked down, then back up. Maria beckoned to him with a pleading face. Upon seeing it, the echidna simply nodded.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _You know, i quite love Carnival Night Zone. It's like, the first time I died from a time over in a zone. It was insane when I got close to the mid-boss in the first zone, only to die because it was 10 minutes. It was insane; I didn't even know I wasted that much time in the zone!_

 _Speaking of which, the mid-boss from Carnival Night Zone is strangely... phallic looking. Like, seriously, I didn't even notice it until I was writing this chapter. I needed a picture of the Bowling Spin, and I was like 'Wow... that looks kinda like a penis.' I'm sorry I said that, but I just had too; it's like, super out there. That being said, I'm pretty sure I handled it in a very mature way._

 _And I wanted to say something about Carnival Night Zone itself. Why is it there? Like, did Dr. Robotnik put it there in Sonic 3? If so, why? How did he get the time between the Death Egg crashing and tricking Knuckles to build a giant amusement park? Does he want Eggmanland that badly? And if he did put it there, why didn't Knuckles immediately kick his ass? Like, seriously!? So in this story, I took somewhat more realistic approach to this zone. Well, as realistic as you can get in the Sonic universe with major Sonic lore._

 _Anyway, the Zone was put here by the Nocturnus Tribe years ago. That's why there's some modern to advance hub in the entire zone for no explainable reason; Nocturnus Tribe! It makes way more sense than Dr. Robotnik putting it there for some reason. For those who don't know, the Nocturnus Tribe is from the game 'Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood'. If you wanna learn more, I recommend either playing the game or reading the Sonic wiki. Too bad we won't be seeing anymore of them in the future... I kinda like Shade._

 _Welp, that's it for this zone. The next zone won't be the zone you expect, because we still got some things to do here! Then we'll get to those polar ice caps! Yeah!_

 _Geemonelly, I got some sort of headache. Gotta calm down..._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	7. Helium Park Zone

Helium Park Zone

"Ow... ow... OW!"

"Stop moving. Ya'know, for the hero of Mobius, you really are a cry-baby!"

He fidgeted under her touch, shook too, his quills even pointed up. The bat had her hands wrapped around his body, these coils reaching around his chest and body. Clearly it burned him to the touch; he constantly tried to swat her off. But she refused to be rebuffed, and continued tending to him regardless of his feelings toward the situation. He eventually sat back and relented, this embarrassed blush on his face. If he had no choice, he might as well allow it to happen.

Rouge shook her head in annoyance, while Shadow allowed a low groan to escape him. After battling with Knuckles, the bat simply whisked him off to get some medical attention. It was in direct conflict with his need to chase down and kill Knuckles.

"And... there! Jeeze, you little baby you, Maurice..."

"What have I told you about calling me that!?" Shadow snapped as he jumped to his feet, only to be brought down by the pain in his chest, "Urgh! Damn Knuckles! He's... hurt me _twice_ now."

"It's your own doing," Rouge scolded, making Shadow snap his eyes over to her, "You always do this, Shadow. You think you're so invincible, you let these weaker machines – or in this case _mobians_ – take you down. Haven't you ever just acted _serious_ for a change? Ya'know, even _tried_?"

"I don't know if you're trying to annoy me, or trying to make me laugh," Shadow growled, "But it is making me mad! Rouge!"

She laughed and giggled, before giving a playful punch to his shoulder. He simply took it, then glared at her with a twitching eye. Turning around, Rouge's tail wagged in a somewhat sultry manner, as if pulling him into the sight of her frame. He shook his head, having had enough of Rouge's flirtatious mannerisms for one lifetime.

This half of the zone was still clad in heavy darkness, making it near impossible to stare through the shadows. Maybe it was Rouge's reputation as a bat that allowed her to travel so easily through the darkened halls of the carnival-type zone. But aren't bat's supposed to be a blind as, well, _bats_? Until he noticed these strange clicking noise echoing from Rouge's mouth.

"This way," the bat said as she pointed to the left, her direction immediately changing.

Shadow followed in her footsteps, coming deeper into the zone. But then Rouge stopped, causing him to run into her. She giggled, he growled, then her eyes trailed around the small area. Once more, that clicking noise echoed from Rouge's mouth. Her head immediately turned to the right, and her hand reached up.

 _CLICK!_ _DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!_

All around them, lights appeared in the zone. The once darkened zone was as bright as day once more, with lights flaring and music playing as well. Rouge crossed her arms over one another with this subtle smirk on her face, while the entirety of the next zone opened before them. A zone which was far less chaotic in comparison to Carnival Night Zone. In fact, Carnival Night Zone appeared to be in the backdrop of this zone, still bright as ever in comparison.

"Ugh... where are we?" Shadow inquired of Rouge, who merely shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Beats me; I've never been on Angel Island Zone before, remember?" she then peered over her shoulder at the hedgehog, this smirk on her face, "Hey, hey! C'mon. Why don't we have a little fun, hm?"

"Why do you continue to say stupid things?" he asked, to which Rouge's eyes slid down into a powerful glare.

"Listen Shadow! I'm more than enough for you when you're in shape, right now, I'd easily be able to beat you down. Understand?"

"Huh... sometimes I wonder why I go anywhere with you..."

"Likewise..."

Whether he wanted to or not, Rouge pressed on his back, getting him moving. The hedgehog gave a growl, only to feel a pain on his chest. He gripped it, rubbed it a bit, only for his ally to give him the ample support necessary to fully stand.

"This place isn't half bad," Rouge said as she held onto Shadow, "Where I live, there's this amusement park called Twinkle Park down the way. Gotta take Radical Highway and transfer to Speed Highway to get there... seriously, I did not make these names up. A lot of my friends tell me I need to go there some time."

"You, with friends?" Shadow inquired, eyebrow raised, "I don't know... sound's kinda hard to believe when coming from you."

"You know, not everyone is a snarling, rude-eyed, loner of a person like you are, Shadow. Unlike you, others – in fact _most_ others – put the effort forward to make some new friends. But not with Mr. Black Wind; others have to make the effort to befriend you..." she stopped her momentary rant to roll her eyes, "Makes me wonder why I bother..."

"I don't exactly need friends," he replied, his shoulder's rising then lowering slowly, "The idea of spending time with others. Talking about _feelings_ ," he shuddered, "It's... not exactly my cup of tea."

"You're _trying_ to turn me away, aren't you?" Rouge stated, eyes sliding into a powerful squint, "Just... _trying_... seriously, I come over your house every so often, I fly your plane, I take care of you when you bash up your body, I've got on two adventures now with you, even now, I'm fighting some mad doctor and native echidna alongside you. Clearly, we're friends. Heh..." she got close and whispered into his ear, "We even talk about our _feelings_. So you betray yourself, Shadow."

"Rouge... can you stop playing for even a little bit?"

"I could," she replied, giving a bit of a shrug, "But where's the rush? Where's the worry? With you like that, I highly doubt you'll be at adventuring percentage until we get out of this zone. So, _Maurice_ , why don't we talk about our _feelings_?" he growled, but she continued on anyway, "Tell me... you say you have no friends – other than me, of course – but I find that a tad bit _too_ hard to believe. Living with your mother and father, you have to have had a few friends growing up. So, c'mon, tell me. Who is Shadow's _first_ friend?"

He crossed his arms whilst glaring at Rouge, his eyes sliding into a powerful squint. He really couldn't stand her, most of the time. She always found it in her blood to just pick apart his entire being. She knew he had many things he wanted to keep secret, and she just needed to know _all_ of it. It was weird; after a while, he learned simply telling her what she wanted to hear was easier than just arguing with her.

"Helen..." he answered, his arms crossed, "Her name was Helen... she had blonde hair... green eyes..." he took in a deep breath, "She lived down the zone from us. In a nice small home. Her, her father, her mother. They were all good people. They owned a bakery, and my mother loved buying pies from them. Maybe a bit _too_ much pies..." he stared over to Rouge, "I remember Helen took somewhat of a shine too me, probably because my mother and I visited their bakery so often. She was... _sick_..."

"How sick?"

"The sickness that entails no use of your legs," Shadow answered, "She couldn't walk, and was always confined to a wheelchair. But that didn't stop her from being so friendly; I can't name one person who didn't like her."

"So... love at first sight?"

"You're being annoying again... anyway, Helen was a good girl. And I wish I could explain why she befriended me like she did. Why _anyone_ befriends me like they do... hm... maybe she was enamored with my speed. She's the only person I know of who found it so enthralling, but I don't know... I remember her visiting me far too much than she should have. The quest to her house wasn't long for me since I'm... well... _me_. But for her, it must have been tiresome. But she always came over our house and hung out with me outside the family barn. We talked... she was my..."

" _Friend..._ see, even Mr. Unsmiley can have a few friends, right? Tell me, Shadow, where is Helen. I really hope she's okay with Green Hill getting slammed by tidal waves."

Shadow grew deathly silent then, and his eyelids slid down to half-cover his eyes. Rouge could see the shift in his stance as he became far more distant, even for his standards. Something about him seemed hurt, vulnerable even, though he retained his usual aloof nature.

"Helen..." he answered with no need for her pressuring, "When Robotnik first showed up to the island. He was nothing but a simple scientist. He came to the island with the most amazing idea; roboticization. For mobians who were injured in horrible ways, he would use roboticization to give them a second chance. For Helen, she'd be able to _walk_ again..."

"Don't tell me she—"

"Helen's family worked up enough money to give her the roboticization treatment, so she could walk again. It was signed under the day I was planning on leaving South Island, so I could find out about myself. I remember the night she left for Robotnik's Scrap Brain Zone, so she could undergo the process," he grew silent, "It was... the _last_ time I saw her..." he looked back over to Rouge, "When I fought Robotnik the first time on South Island, I did go searching for her in Scrap Brain Zone. But of all the Badniks and Robians, I just didn't find one that looked like her. I'm not sure where Helen is or her family for that matter; she's just one of the many who got lost in Robotnik's conquest."

"Uh... Shadow... s-sorry for asking. I didn't know..."

"It's alright," he answered.

For so long, Rouge wondered about her friend. Why did he hate Robotnik so much? Why would he specifically go out of his way to kill the doctor himself? She knew Shadow was a heroic being despite his dark tendencies, but his animosity toward Robotnik bordered on the line of insanity. However, hearing the stories behind their battles – the ones they had on South Island – she can't deny his rage isn't without reason.

"Well then... you told me that," she said, after getting a peak at his more vulnerable side, "Mind telling me who this _Maria_ girl is?"

He merely glared at her.

"I think you've heard enough for one day," he replied, before suddenly mumbling, while his crossed arms unfolded themselves, "Hmm..."

"What's wrong, Shadow?" the bat asked, head cocked to one side.

"I think we have company..."

In the center of this carnival ride laden zone, something descended. It was round, a golden yellow as well as green, with a silver ring hovering around its body. On this ring were rods with green balls on the end, balls that surged with electricity between each individual sphere. At the very bottom of the machine was one large green sphere.

The Egg Mobile-G came to a slow stop as it hovered just out of reach of the two mobians. Shadow scoffed at the sight of it, while Rouge rolled her eyes. Didn't the doctor ever learn?

"Another one of his messengers, it would seem," Shadow commented, before taking his usual fighting stance, "Let's make this quick..."

"Not now, Shadow," Rouge said, surprising him with a hand on his shoulder, "You're injured. Let me deal with this one."

He wanted to argue with her doing such a thing, but didn't. Maybe it was the pain in his chest that made him reconsider things, or perhaps the talk they just had. Whatever the case may be, he gladly stepped aside and crossed his arms. He'd let his _friend_ handle things this time.

The Egg Mobile-G fired a ray of electricity at the bat, who leaped up high to dodge it. Curling up much like Shadow, she gained enough inertia to throw herself at him feet first. She struck the machine but did no lasting damage, while it began floating backwards.

Suddenly the massive green sphere it owned dropped to the ground, crashing into the earth and destroying the ground it fell upon. Suddenly the machine hovered over the sphere, then fired separate beams of electricity around said sphere from its many rods. In doing so, the wind in the area suddenly picked up in speed. Gravity shifted, as the metallic ball was charged with a powerful level of electromagnetism. Many of the carnival rides around were torn from the ground, and then began spinning around in the air with the Egg Mobile-G being the center point.

Rouge dodged the many spending debris, her teal eyes never once leaving the Egg Mobile-G itself. Suddenly crashing into a horse torn from a merry-go-round, Rouge held onto it. Looking at the horse then to the Egg Mobile-G again, she got an idea. The bat flew behind the horse, before delivering a kick so strong it sent the horse crashing into the Egg Mobile-G.

The strike caused considerable damage to the Egg Mobile-G's ring, damaging one of its rods. The loss of one of them caused the electric storm to be whipped into a considerable frenzy. The lost of stable power caused the gravity to shift wildly, and everything was further tossed into random directions. To calm everything, the Egg Mobile-G landed upon its sphere and reattached it. Upon doing so, gravity returned to normal.

Rouge landed on the ground while the Egg Mobile-G returned to the air. This time it focused its attentions solely on her, and slowly began to approach the bat. She leaped back with a taunting finger, before taking off into the air. The Egg Mobile-G dropped its sphere, but this time the remaining rods sent electrical blasts into the ball. Keeping it levitated, the machine began firing the ball toward the bat. She dodged it left and right, then took off after the machine.

Rouge landed under the mighty Badnik, right where the ball would be held safely. While the green sphere suddenly swung back to reattach and crush her, Rouge smirked. Holding tightly onto the machine, she began kicking into the hole with her feet. In the softer part of the machine, her mighty kicks did amazing damage. But she wasn't just kicking, she was _digging_ her way inside. Wires whipped out of the panels and caused the Badnik to suddenly lower in altitude, but she continued kicking and digging. Then her hand tore inside, gripping wires and panels. Then she ripped them out, causing a sudden spark of fire and electricity.

"EEEYAAAH!"

She leaped off the machine then and landed safely on the ground, while more explosions took over the Egg Mobile-G. The electrical current the Badnik controlled went haywire as it struggled to keep it all under control, with all the blast flying in random directions and striking various areas. Rouge watched as the barely functioning Egg Mobile suddenly tipped over and crashed right into the earth where it went right up into a ball of fire.

"Few..." Rouge said as she fanned herself with her hand, "Talk about a shocking experience..."

"Really?" Shadow's voice commented as he walked right beside her, his arms crossed, "That was a stupid thing to say..."

She scoffed at his statement, only to hear a genuine laugh escape his muzzle. That caused her to laugh as well. Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation; Shadow doesn't laugh. Not often, anyway. But every time he laughed, she found herself laughing as well. Just at the absurdity of the situation.

"So now what?" Rouge asked as she finally stopped laughing, wondering how they'd get to the next zone.

"Shhh..." Shadow suddenly mumbled, his red eyes gazing to the sky.

Rouge did likewise, wondering what her ally was gazing up to. There was something far up there, something covered by the night sky. Shadow glared at it with his eyes sliding into squints, as if picking apart the sight far above. There was something up there, something _invisible_. Or perhaps _cloaked._

"I've got something for ya," Shadow said as his hand began cackling with energy, "Chaos Spear!"

He flung one rogue blast into the sky, making Rouge cock her head in confusion. Suddenly the blast hit something, causing a massive flicker that traveled throughout the entire _sky_. Then both of them saw something; an entire airship in the sky. It came into existence briefly, before vanishing.

"It's that same ship that attacked us when we got here," Rouge stated, while Shadow began running after it, "Wait!? Shadow where are you going!"

"You said it yourself," Shadow answered as he ran toward a cannon at the end of the zone, "That's the same ship that attacked us when we first got to this island. Robotnik's probably on that ship!'

"How do you plan on getting up there, Shadow?"

"You'll see..."

He leaped into the cannon at the end of Balloon Park Zone, then rolled himself deep inside. Back at the base of the barrel, he aimed himself directly into the skies. Maybe he took a blat to the face which made such an action sound like a bright idea. Not caring at the moment, his finger sparked with energy. An explosion echoed in the cannon that very same moment.

 _BOOOM!_

Rouge remained on the ground with her arms crossed, her head shaking to and fro.

"How old are you, Shadow?" Rouge asked as she began flying in the air, "You baka..."

Shadow flew sky-high with his hand out toward the stars. Suddenly slamming into something, the hedgehog nearly bounced off. But his hand grove into the invisible structure he hit, fastening itself into place. Retaining hold, he gazed around the surface of his hand. He action damaged on panel, allowing him to see the light-blue steel underneath. Then the entire airship began to flicker as its cloaking technique was damaged.

"I've got you now, doctor," Shadow claimed as he removed his coils before continuing his climb, "There's no escape from me!"

He continued on his climb of the airship, moving higher and higher. As he did so, the morning sun in the distance appeared. Before the sun, he could see a massive mountain chain as well. The airship suddenly increased in height, ascending higher into the heavens and clouds. Shadow suddenly coughed, and when he did so, white clouds formed from his mouth. Then snow pelted his fur. His eyes grew wide.

How fast was this ship moving?

 _Shadow has completed Balloon Park Zone._

Shadow clung to the bottom of the airship, before more panels opened up. Within these other panels, conveniently placed guns. They were aimed at him, and the speed of the plane was far too great to simply run up the airship. So Shadow felt as if he had only one way of escape.

Gritting his teeth and scoffing as well, Shadow pulled with all his might on the panel he clung to. The action caused him to rip it directly out, right when the turrets opened fire upon his position. Turning around, he watched as he rapidly fell toward a frozen mountain peak below.

 _Next stop, IceCap Zone_.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Hey dudes, how's it goin'?_

 _Hah, hah! I kid, I kid, but in all seriousness though, ya'll wanna hear me (or read me as is the case) talk about this chapter, right? Well, this is Balloon Park Zone, from Sonic 3's Competition mode. Out of all the two player zones, this one's my least favorite. Probably because it's so bland. Which is weird, because its a shiny carnival! What makes it bland is how the carnival theme was used already for Carnival Night Zone, in the same game. But that's not saying the zone isn't a ton of fun to play with your family, because it really is. I miss my youthful days, honestly._

 _Anyway, I wanted this zone to be connected to Carnival Night Zone, because they're both carnival-themed zones. I had an idea of Shadow fighting Knuckles here, but I pushed that to the end of Carnival Night Zone instead. So here, we get some nice talking between Shadow and Rouge. The character Helen who Shadow talks about is an actual Sonic character. Well, she's from Sonic X, anyway. I didn't describe her as much here for one specific manner; I wasn't sure if I should make her a human or mobian. So you guys get to think of what she looks like. Is she a human like in the show, or a mobian like everyone else on South Island._

 _And, man, another chapter with no Maria or Robotnik. Oh, feels so wrong!_

 _Any way, I hope you guys liked this super short chapter. Well, short for my standards. Sense it takes place in a small zone such as Balloon Park Zone, you can kinda see how I don't have much to go on, right? Still, just having Shadow and Rouge talk is kinda cool. Maybe next time we'll find out more about Shadow's life on South Island. I just love thinking about it, really._

 _Rouge called Shadow a 'baka'. This is what happens when you watch far too much Lost Pause over the course of a week. Ugh..._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	8. Frozen Cap Zone

Frozen Cap Zone

There was one big secret Shadow had kept all his life. From the day he first remembered waking up, through his many adventures, to right now, this secret had been plaguing him. What was said secret? A very simple one; Shadow the hedgehog is afraid of _heights_. Yeah. _Heights_. Despite climbing heights that would make minds boggle and even falling from _Space_ in his last adventure, he just never got over the feeling. Hell, he even flies a plane everywhere! Shadow just doesn't like heights.

Normally, he simply powers through this fear. After all, fears are merely limits placed upon a person by his or her own mind. He hadn't died from falling yet, and didn't plan on dying anytime from them. So why did he have such an unnatural fear toward being high up? He simply could not explain it, but he can say this. When he fell to the planet from the Death Egg's destruction, he felt as if he had _done so_ before.

How strange.

 _Shadow has entered Ice Cap Zone_.

Wind and sound roared all around the black and red hedgehog, as well as this blistering cold. Twirling around in the air, he glared down to the ground as he rushed rapidly toward it. As it stood, the gleaming rays of sunlight over the horizon illuminated the ground as he approached it. He could see snow-covered hills and icy trees on this mountainous zone far below, all of it rushing to meet him.

The hedgehog held tightly onto the metal panel he tore out of the airship above, the very same one which he could no longer see. Aiming for a slope in the earth, he pulled out the metal sheet to be directly under his feet. He landed upon the sheet right when his body slammed into the snow, causing him to fly even higher.

Shadow's body slammed on to the metal plane, then his entire body hit the ground rolling. Instead of coming to a dead stop, the Black Wind balanced himself on the metal board in such a way he was able to glide over the icy snow. Keeping himself balanced, the hedgehog was able to snowboard his way down the mountain side with considerable skill and effort.

"Hey, way past cool," he commented to himself, before his ears twitched.

 _GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

The hedgehog's eyes grew wide. Looking over his shoulder, he saw to his surprise a massive avalanche heading directly his way. An entire wave of snow and ice came crashing toward him, destroying everything in its path. Scoffing at the sight, Shadow merely pushed forward and increased his speed. He glided through the snowy banks, increasing his speed as he hit hills. When coming over a cliff, the hedgehog leaped off of it then kept on going. The avalanche continued its chase however, making it hard to escape, especially with the multiple trees he needed to avoid as well.

The Black Wind continued his deadly boarding down the mountainside, just when a sudden lost of gravity took him. The hedgehog immediately pointed down and his makeshift snowboard escaped him, as he found himself falling into a pit. His air shoes activated to give him an escape, but the zone had other ideas.

 _WHAM!_

As fast as he was going, he slammed into a wall. His entire body flattened out comically on the wall, his limbs splayed out around him. Dazed by the sudden slammed, he couldn't react at all as his entire body was covered under the avalanche he attempted to escape. It buried him completely, and sealed the pit he fell into under pounds of snow.

"Ugggghhh..."

 _POOOF!_

Something broke into the pit, clawing around viciously in search for something. Shadow, still in his dazed state, only reacted when something gripped his wrist and hand. It clenched tightly upon him, and then immediately began pulling to bring his entire body out of the snow. A yank her, a pull there, and the hedgehog came flying out of his snowy tomb. He slammed onto an snow-covered earth, gasping for air as his back surged with pain. Rubbing said back, he then suffered to regain control over his frenzied senses. His red eyes opened, seeing a glove covered hand being given to him. Staring up, he found the teal eyes of a certain bat gazing back down to him.

"Had your fill, Shadow?" Rouge inquired as he grabbed her hand.

"I've been better..." he replied as she pulled him onto his feet.

Red eyes glared around, surveying the zone he found himself in. A massive cavern, beautifully carved by wind, water and age. Icy diamonds more tantalizing than diamonds in stores hung from the ceiling, and in the distance of the mighty cave even more could be seen.

The hedgehog shifted his arms from his chest to his hips, while his eyes became stunned by the sights.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rouge inquired, to which Shadow replied with,

"I can't say I've seen something quite like it before..." he looked around a bit more, "Reminds me of the Hidden Palace Zone back on West Side Island. Well, what used to be the Hidden Palace Zone..." his eyes shifted back to her, "Do you have any clue as to where we are?"

"You just think I'm some sort of national geographic, don'tcha?" Rouge replied, eyes sliding into a less than stellar eye, "Listen, Shadow, I'm no walking encyclopedia on the areas and such; I know just as much about Angel Island as you do... after all, there's no map around that'll help send us in the right direction."

"Hmph... then we better get moving."

His air shoes ignited, then he rocketed off down the cavern. Rouge sighed before rushing behind him in chase. Rushing down the icy hall of Ice Cap Zone was certainly a different feeling. Never once had Shadow come across a snow-laden zone quite like this. The closest would have to be Dust Hill Zone, though it was also half desert most of the time. Feeling the icy cold touch of the wind on his fur electrified Shadow, though the same couldn't be said for Rouge. Maybe she would have paid attention to the cold touch on her skin, had her teal eyes not been so absolutely enamored by the icy crystals all around her. If only, oh if only, they were real.

"Whoops!"

Shadow came to a sudden halt, right when his feet came crashing toward a cliff. Gazing down the massive ravine, the Black Wind could see nothing but snow below. Just then, Rouge – who couldn't control her speed on the slippery slope – crashed into her ally, causing both to fall far bellow. They slammed onto an icy incline, where in which they started flying down further into the cave. They continued sliding until they fell over a cliff, where Shadow crashed into a wall. Rouge, however, hovered near the wall instead of crashing into it.

"Are you okay, Shadow honey?" she asked cutely of him, while he pulled himself away from the wall.

"Don't. Patronize me..." he growled back, before sliding off the icy barricade.

He landed down on a flat plane and glared down the hall, while Rouge hovered down to his side. Rushing down the cavern, the hedgehog came to yet another snowy ramp. He growled a bit then leaped down inside, sliding along the ramp and rushing in even deeper. Rouge flew at his side while Shadow descended down the ramp, only to fly over the edge and fly into a pit.

There laid a massive expansive blue shine to their side, one that was extremely deep and allowed deeper glimpses into the underground caves of Ice Cap Zone. Glaring up to walls he fell within, his air shoes ignited. Pushing him toward the wall, he crashed into it. His body slammed through the icy wall, where he flew into another chamber.

"Are you just gonna keep bashing your head into areas?" Rouge asked as she floated into the area with her wings flapping gently.

He merely ignored her comment and glared ahead, when this mysterious sound permeated his ears. Looking skyward, he attempted to track the noise with his eyes. He looked to the distance of the massive cave, where he saw something large and spherical move through the area. It was heavily shadowed by the cave's lack of light, and eventually vanished into the darkness.

The Black Wind nodded at the sight, as if assuring himself that machine was his target. Suddenly igniting his skates, he went flying into the darkness in chase of the being. He went over hills and down slopes, gliding through them with skill and finesse. Uncurling as he hit a ramp, he flew even higher, and could see glimpses of sunlight peering through the ceiling of the caves.

As Shadow and Rouge ran, pillars from the earth suddenly shot up from under their toes and rocketed toward the ceiling. The Black Wind's eyes grew wide as he jumped from one pillar only to land on another, it too rocketed toward the ceiling to crush him. Jumping between pillars at sonic speeds, he glared ahead to another cavern, then leaped for it. Shadow rolled inside with Rouge at his back. Inside said cave, they laid many robotic eyes gazing back.

They were penguin-like; small, blue, chubby. Shadow grew wide-eyed at the sight of the many Badniks that gazed at him, while they all stared back at them.

"Here too, it would seem," Shadow commented as the various Badniks came their way.

"I wonder why..." Rouge stated, eyes rolling, "It's not like there's a lot to his zone."

"Eh... it doesn't matter," he began turning red, "If he puts him here, I'll simply get rid of them; CHAOS BLAST!"

…

"Bleh!?" the blonde suddenly announced as she gasped, pulling back from her control panel in surprise.

"What is it, Maria?"

She turned slightly from her chair in the command center, eyeing the man behind him. He seemed genuinely concerned over her sudden surprise, but merely waved her hand to calm him down. Turning back and facing the control panel before her, she took a deep breath then rolled hair behind her ears.

"The Penguinator unit in Ice Cap Zone Act 1 has been destroyed, Dr. Robotnik," she stated, "the last thing they saw was – of course – a certain black hedgehog and his white-furred friend..." she smiled a bit then looked over to him, "What will be our next course of action, Ivo?"

"Do you mind telling me state of Big Icedus? Where is it in relation to Shadow and Rouge in the zone?"

"Big Icedus has neared the halfway point of the zone... Ivo?" she looked back to her zone, "Is there something you wish for me to do with Big Icedus?"

"Indeed there is, Maria dear. Have Big Icedus create a Blizzard; we don't want Rouge and Shadow's stay at Ice Cap Zone to become boring, do we? Oh, and Maria... activate Egg Mobile-F, why don't you? I believe its _your_ favorite Egg Mobile?"

"The Freezer Mobile?" Maria replied with an eyebrow raised, "I'd... hardly call it my favorite but..." then her eyes grew wide, and a giddy visage of excitement took over her. Hopping up and down in her chair she clapped her hands together then gazed at her cousin, "You mean! I get to! Again!?"

"I see why not," Ivo replied with shrugging shoulders, "You've spent so much time cooped up in the Flying Batter, I think it's only right if you got the chance to spread your legs a bit and _entertain_ our guests..." he winked at her, "What do you say?"

"I get to fly a Mobile unit this time? Like, really!" she clapped her hands then hopped up from her chair, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Ivo! I won't let you down!"

"I don't think you will, Maria dear, I don't believe you will..." he smiled and waved his hand, as if sending her off, "Now, go, Please, do make Shadow's stay here a fun one."

Maria didn't say another word, she simply ran out of the area with giddiness and excitement written upon her face. Upon leaving however, she couldn't hear the insidious laughter that echoed from her cousin's voice. She didn't see his face transform into a demented grin, while he laughed more and more. His red eyes gleamed, he fell back in his chair, when finally his laughter died down.

"Oh, oh Shadow," he said, "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow..." in his mind, images of their fight on the Death Egg plaid, "So... you're _infatuated_ with my darling cousin Maria, is it? Let's see what happens when you _see_ her, _face_ to _face._.."

…

"Are you done yet?" the bat asked, her teal eyes upturned in an annoyed stare.

He glared at her over his shoulder, scoffed too, then stood up with his arms crossed. Around their toes, piles upon piles of discarded steel, all of which once belonged to living Badniks. The animals within had been freed, and all of them gasped for breath in the snowy cave. At least they were all indigenous to the zone, and wouldn't die from the extreme temperatures.

Shadow stared passed Rouge, his ruby eyes taking in the gleaming bits of sunlight down the hall. Nodding, he said nothing as he instead dashed forward with his air shoes ignited. With Rouge at his side, the duo ran for the sunlight facing their way, breaking through the entrance and coming to the snowy plains touched by sunlight. The outside planes of Ice Cap Zone glowed, and showed endless sights of the zone around them; mountains far in the distance, a flowing icy-cold river to their left, not to mention the massive snow-covered plains that seemed to stretch for forever.

"Wow..." Shadow commented, feeling stunned in a pleasant way for a change.

"You're just a little boy in a candy shop right now, aintcha, Shadow?" Rouge teased from behind, making him glare at her from annoyance.

"Let's get going..." he growled as he continued down the plain, only to come to a stop seconds later.

"Shadow, what's-"

"Shhhh..."

His arm pulled up to block Rouge, while he began glaring into the distance. But, no, he wasn't glaring at the distance, but instead close up. Staring to the ground, he noticed something out of the ordinary with a particular snow mound. He approached it; the ground began shaking violently.

Shadow and Rouge both leaped back to put distance between themselves and the cracking ground. Said cracks grew and the earth continued its violent shaking, while something began rising from the earth. The wind suddenly grew wild and violent, while snow was whipped around in random and various directions. The Black Wind covered his face to block out the growing torrent, while his ally did likewise.

"A blizzard?" Rouge cried, "But from where!? It was calm just a few seconds ago!"

Shadow didn't answer her, instead staring ahead to the machine rising from the snow. It was spherical, much like any Egg Mobile, but it wasn't an Egg Mobile unit. Three towers shot from its body; two from the top, one out the center of its bottom. A silver color, it had one red stripe all around the center of its body.

Big Icedus's towers surged with power, causing snow to fly around its body specifically. Creating a shield forged out of pounds of snow, the Big Icedus fell to the ground then flew toward Shadow and Rouge. Their eyes expanded, and the leaped out of the way without a second to lose. Dodging the Big Icedus, Shadow quickly countered with a Chaos Spear. His blast penetrated its icy shield, causing visible cracks to appear all around it.

Big Icedus twirled around like a ball in a bowl, and came crashing toward them once more. Rouge flew overhead while Shadow started emitting his usual red aura. Activating Chaos Boost, he powered up a Chaos Lance then tossed it at the invading machine. The red blast dove into Big Icedus' shield, then detonated. Said detonation caused an explosion which destroyed the snow shield altogether.

The impact of the blast sent Shadow flying back and buried him under snow. Rouge stared back at Shadow, then back to Big Icedus, which was now hovering in the air once more. The metal towers on its body began surging with electricity again, causing the already turbulent blizzard to grow even harsher. Eyes squinting, Rouge flew through the air toward the Big Icedus, dodging snow as she did so. She first delivered a kick to the machine which sent it back, then continued by slamming a heart-shaped bomb on Big Icedus which attached. When she flew back, her bomb triggered, creating an explosion which swallowed the Big Icedus whole.

Rouge landed upon the earth near Shadow, who dusted snow off his body. When the dust settled, the Big Icedus remained in the air above them. The hedgehog growled at the sight and Rouge even scoffed, all the while the machine they faced began to summon more snow to cover protect its body.

Another shield of snow and ice appeared over its body, protecting the mighty Badnik as it charged super charged the blizzard they sat within. It began to storm violently, pelting Shadow and Rouge further with pounds of snow. The two were getting angry, and for Shadow, that powered him. He flared a red color, his explosive aura even pushing Rouge away. Charging enough power to pack a sizable punch, the hedgehog put his hands together. A red sphere suddenly formed in his palms with the might of ten Chaos Lances, and he sent this blast careening toward the machine.

The blast slammed into the machine, causing an explosion which sent the Big Icedus flying back. It slammed into the ground then slid down the embankment, where it eventually crashed into the icy river beside them. With the Big Icedus dealt with, the blizzard around them quickly died out. The grey storm clouds above vanished rather quickly, the winds became calm and gentle, and the sun shined on the entire zone. Shadow dusted snow off of him and Rouge did likewise, while the heat from the sun warmed them.

"You have no idea how good that feels right now..." Shadow commented as he calmed down, making Rouge giggle.

"I bet I could make you say something like that a few more times."

"Ugh... you..."

 _Shadow and Rouge have completed Act 1_.

Shadow dusted snow off his legs then stared ahead to the second act, his red eyes hardening in their glare. The gentle snow which had the zone under control in the first half had vanished by now, leaving nothing but a sun-kissed zone ahead. Throwing caution to the wind, Shadow immediately went rushing for it, leaving Rouge exasperated.

Shadow rolled up a ramp, sliding higher in the zone and landing on a particular butte. Shadow gazed down to the zone around him. He didn't pay attention to his surroundings, allowing a small blue Badnik with spiked ice balls swirling around its body. The Badniks eyes settled into a glare on the Black Wind and it readied to attack, when a sudden kick tore through the Badnik clean in half.

Shadow turned around to see Rouge, who simply landed beside him with a wagging finger. Shadow shook his head. Leaping back down to the zone, he continued dashing across its long and icy plains. The deeper inside the zone he roamed, he could see pillars sticking through the ground. These pillars – which appeared to be ancient – stood from the ground with a glowing light at the end of it. Gazing at the pillars as the zoomed by, Shadow couldn't help but to feel entranced by them.

How big is this zone?

"Shadow! Behind us!" Rouge warned, making the Black Wind glance over his shoulder.

From over a hill, a group of those Penguinator Badniks appeared. Sliding down the hill to gain speed, they torpedoed themselves toward the two mobians. Rouge flew up high while Shadow leaped up to dodge them. Suddenly he shot down with his signature homing attack, slamming onto the back of one such Penguinator. With a mighty press, he was able to redirect the Badnik's path by pressing on various areas of its back. Snowboarding off the machine's back, Shadow glided around on the snow. His hand quickly began charging a Chaos Spear, and he sent that blast flying toward his enemies.

Explosions riddled the area of the zone, sending metallic pieces flying in all directions. Shadow continued snowboarding ahead through the destruction, before one more press crushed the Badnik he boarded upon as well. Shadow leaped up and to the ground, when said ground began to quake and crumble. Glaring down, he was shocked to see the earth suddenly break away under his feet.

Shadow fell fast and forward, before suddenly meeting an icy plain. Crashing into it and growing silent, the hedgehog pulled up to see was on a small drifting piece of ice, in a the middle of a massive underground river. Glancing at himself in the water's reflection, the hedgehog couldn't help but to touch the water himself.

"Brrrrr!? Jeeze! That's cold!" he growled as he pulled back.

From the river, more Badniks appeared. It was the same small spherical badniks with icy spikes as the last one. Small Iceduses, it would seem. Said Iceduses threw their spiked balls at the hedgehog, who projected a shield around his body to deflect them. The Small Iceduses quickly forged more ice balls to throw at Shadow, while he prepared an attack of his own. But before he could strike, a wild blur darted between the Badniks, destroying each one quick and efficiently.

"You'd really die if it wasn't for me," Rouge stated as she landed on the ground beside him, "Are you done messing around down here?"

She reached down and grabbed his hand, picking the hedgehog up and pulling him off of the plain. As she did so, more Small Iceduses rose from the ground, throwing their icy blasts at the two. Shadow pushed Rouge back and landed on another ice block, where his back nearly cracked. No, it wasn't his back, but instead the plain beneath him. Rouge landed on another one as well, while even more Small Iceduses rose from the ground.

They fired at the two mobians, causing Shadow to jump between pieces of drifting ice. He charged his Chaos powers in his hands, then flung a few at some Badniks, destroying them in the process. Rouge dealt with the Badniks with her swift kicks, then flew toward Shadow as fast as she could. Scooping him up in her arms, she took the surprised hedgehog skyward as they landed in a deeper cavern. The Small Iceduses continued to hound them however, as they hovered skyward to give chase.

Shadow and Rouge realized escape wouldn't be possible, not in this small and confined area. The Black Wind glanced at his ally, then gave a sly wink. She, being confused by this gesture, rose an eyebrow in confusion. But then, as if realizing what he was saying, gave a nod. Running backwards, she watched as Shadow turned read. He charged up a red blast as per usual, but instead of aiming at his foes, he aimed it skyward.

"Chaos Blast!"

A destructive orb collided with the ceiling, causing the cavern to shake and quake. Snow, ice, and sediment collapsed into the area, causing a cave-in which destroyed the Small Icedus that chased them. Shadow smiled at the sight, only for the continued quaking to cause snow to fall upon him. Rouge grabbed his shoulders then and flew toward the ceiling, where her feet skillfully dug through. Seconds later they protruded through the snow's surface, coming back onto the endless plains of Ice Cap Zone which sat outside.

"Man... can we just call it quits now?" Rouge asked as she took her time gasping for breath, "I swear... you can really tire a woman out, Shadow."

"Hey, Rouge, do you see that?" Shadow asked instead, ignoring her statement.

"See what?"

He grabbed her shoulder, calling her attentions, then pointed in the far distance. At first, Rouge couldn't see it. Maybe her eyesight as a bat was simply worse. However, after a few more seconds of hard glaring, she could see something two. Towers. Long black towers stood in the distance, far behind mountains and such.

"What is that?" Rouge inquired.

"Our destination," Shadow replied as he took head-point, "C'mon, let's go."

He started walking for the object in the distance and was just about to run, when the ground behind them suddenly split and cracked. Shadow turned and gazed behind he and Rouge to the ground, while the violent shaking increased. Once more, the area they stood in was whipped into a wicked frenzy; a blizzard much like the one before suddenly appeared around them.

Suddenly the ground shattered, sending snow and ice skyward. Shadow and Rogue glared skyward as a murderous machine slowly descended upon them; the Big Icedus from before. Shadow was stunned that the massive Badnik survived his attack, though it showed considerable damage from his strike. One of its three towers were destroyed, but it still hold enough power to create the blizzard they were stuck inside.

The Big Icedus summoned snow to protect its body, but not in the same way as before. Instead of a mighty snow shield as before, it summoned a ring of snow balls much like the Small Iceduses. These small snow clumps were far stronger and far tougher than anything the Small Iceduses could create.

The Big Icedus began rotating around the two mobians, forcing them to track it with their eyes. Then one of the snow balls began firing snow at them with so much force it could penetrate skin. They were like small icy bullets, and caused Shadow to separate and dodge. The Black Wind countered with with Chaos Spears that destroyed some orbs by not all of them. Meanwhile, Rouge attempted to approach the machine, only to be rebuffed thanks to its many snow balls.

Big Icedus suddenly pulled back, where it's violent charging of the blizzard increased. Now hail was thrown into the mix, with Shadow and Rouge in the center of all it.

"This is getting on my nerves!" Shadow stated as he turned red.

"Hey! Shadow! Calm down!" Rouge replied, "You can't keep throwing blasts off like that! You'll run out of energy like you usually do!"

"I'll have enough to deal with this thing!" he replied as he readied another attack.

"Yeah, well, what about whatever's next? What about when we fight another Egg Mobile unit, which you know is gonna happen!? You'll be to tired to do anything, and I'll have to do all the work. _Again_... you don't have a Chaos Emerald to help jump-start your powers, so listen up!" she settled her eyes on the Big Icedus who began approaching them again, "Shadow! Can you give me cover?"

"Rouge..."

"Can you give me cover!?"

"Yes! I can give you cover!" he growled back, not used to being treated like this, "Dammit... you're sounding like my mom..." he pulled out his hand and charged a ball in his fingertips, then glared at the Big Icedus, "Tell me when..."

"NOW!"

"Chaos Ball!"

Shadow flung his attack at the Big Icedus, only for it to slam down into the earth. Embedding itself into the ground. Rouge took off then, while Shadow's two fingers pointed to the sky and he exclaimed,

"EXPAND!"

A light appeared in the snow beneath the Big Icedus. Said light began to bubble, before suddenly detonating. A wall of snow and ice arose from the ground, surrounding the Big Icedus completely. The action destroyed the icy orbs it had created thanks to the powerful uprising force. It struggled to create a few more, taking its time to craft snow balls as powerful as the last one. Suddenly, something heavy landed upon the machine. It descended toward the ground suddenly, before quickly returning to a stable flight. Attempting to locate its sudden attacker, it found Rouge hanging upon its body.

The bat giggled as she reached into her cleavage. Hand returning, she held another one of her heart-shaped bombs. She slammed the bomb inside the Big Icedus' missing tower, then flew away suddenly. As she did so, the bat winked suggestively at the machine. The bomb inside suddenly triggered.

Explosions riddled inside the Big Icedus while Rouge landed beside Shadow. Said explosions caused it to go up in a magnificent display of fire. Metal pieces were flung in all directions while the machine crashed into the snow. The blizzard Big Icedus created died out as well, this time for good.

Rouge and Shadow stared at its crumbling heap, the two of them taking well deserved deep breaths. Then Rouge put her hands on her hips and smiled suggestively at her friend. He merely rose an eyebrow.

"So... finally consider me a suitable fighter, Shadow?"

"I always considered you a suitable fighter, Rouge," he replied, catching her off guard, "I'd just rather do all the fighting myself..."

"And why's that; care to explain?"

"By now... you should know why..." he said as he looked away, "Rouge..."

He didn't say anything else. Instead turning around, he faced the mysterious building in the far distance and began skating for it. Rouge followed suit soon after, running off in chase. Along the way in approach of the mysterious sight, Shadow and Rouge found to their surprise pipelines running in the same direction. The Black Wind leaped upon the pipe, surprised and stunned by its being here. Another object place here by Robotnik no less. After all, it went against the natural ice-temple vibe the zone had given off thus far.

Shadow and Rouge continued to trail the pipeline, before coming to a vault covering. Shadow turned the wheel and opened the covering, gazing down into the empty pipes below.

"Looks pretty dangerous..." Rouge commented.

"So?" Shadow replied as he leaped inside.

Rouge gave an annoyed sigh before doing likewise. Once she landed inside with him, Shadow closed shut the manhole to cover their tracks. And all was right with Ice Cap Zone.

Until...

"I've located them, Ivo," the blonde said as she leaned back in her chair, "They're currently heading way for Chrome Gadget Zone."

She was _different_ to say the least. The blonde who was usually seen in business formal was nowhere near her normal area. Instead of behind a console on the Flying Battery, she was in the command chair of her very own Egg Mobile unit. With it came a massive change to her attire.

Her long blonde hair was stylized into pigtails. Her usual black and formal closing had been replaced by a black and red jumpsuit, with white straps and yellow buttons holding them into place. Not to mention the goggles on the top of her head.

"Chrome Gadget Zone? Why... that's just outside Launch Base Zone! Those two have already made it _that_ far!?"

"It would seem so, Ivo..."

"Dammit! Damn Shadow the hedgehog!... rugh... so be it. He may arrive, but we already planned for this. Shadow and Rouge are already _far_ too late. But..."

"But...?"

"If they were to meet some kind of end then... that'll just make our lives _far_ easier, Maria dear."

The blonde smiled devilishly, her blue eyes flickering a red color ever so briefly. Grabbing her goggles, she slid them down and covered her eyes. A small laughter steadily escaped her.

"E-Series Model M Ver. 3.2.4. Maria Robotnik Battle Mode activated!" she slammed on the Egg Mobile-F's controls, causing it to fly forward, "Prepare to die, Shadow the hedgehog!"

 _Shadow and Rouge have completed Ice Cap Zone._

 _Next stop, Chrome Gadget Zone_.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Hey all ya'll! Ya'know, I was planning on posting this yesterday - I even finished it then - but it FF was down so... you're getting it now! As they always say 'better late than never!'_

 _So, Ice Cap Zone. I've always been the kind of guy to both love and dislike ice-themed levels. The slippery controls, the constant death pits, the doom looming around every corner; they're almost always difficult. But in spite of all this, they are almost always the most beautiful of stages. The sights, the sounds, the music; its so perfect. Like, horrible difficult, wonderful sights! I loathe and adore ice stages!_

 _But I think I loathe them more._

 _Ice Cap Zone is not exempt from this rule. It's such a wonderful stage - Acts 1 and 2 - but I'll be damned if it doesn't get confusing sometimes. As a child, I was guaranteed to lose at least one life in this frozen tundra of a zone, and even now I fear that underground body of water with the small jumps you have to make. It does have some awesome music though, and one of my favorite scenes ever. When you beat Big Icedus at the end of Act 1, and the stage gradually brightens up; I just love that sight. It gets me in the heart._

 _With this chapter, I got all the highlights, at least for myself. The snowboard down the hill, the fight with Big Icedus, the sunrise after said fight, and the underground body of water. Also, when at the end Sonic and Tails run into that snow-covered tube into Launch Base Zone, though this tube goes somewhere else. Also, it's a pipeline now, because in Sonic 3, it's just some smallish cave. Like... what?_

 _Maria in this chapter is planning something, and I just can't wait to show it. For those who couldn't tell (or simply didn't pay enough attention), Maria's wardrobe as she helms the Egg Mobile is Dr. Eggman's uniform. The ones from the games that is, starting with Sonic Adventure. Since Robotnik wears a brown suit in this story, I thought it would be pretty cool for Maria to wear Eggman's costume. I was partially inspired by a picture online of Maria dressed in such a way._

 _Kinda makes me wanna write another story, ya'know? A story in which, for some reason, Maria became an evil scientist instead of Robotnik. Guess I'll just let that simmer for a while._

 _Oh well, you guys, I had fun writing this chapter, seriously. And I just hope you all enjoyed reading it. So, until next time!_

 _Maverick Kay Prime!_


	9. Anodize Gadget Zone

Anodize Gadget Zone

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The vault door flew open. Dents sat on one end, fist sized ones caused by a considerably angry person. A red and white shoe stepped out, walking along the metal ground toward the machine before him. He stopped then, his red eyes taking in the sights of the zone all around him.

Massive, metallic, and with the night sky looming overhead. Stairs twinkled admits the skies, while the beautiful silver moon peered barely through the clouds. All of this overlooked a sprawling factory of a zone, one with lights gleaming in the distance. What these lights could mean – what this entire _factory_ could mean – was virtually a mystery to the hedgehog.

Shadow gave a low groan, while the white bat on his back began stirring. He heard her whisper something in her slumber, but couldn't make out what it was. Ignoring it altogether, the hedgehog merely sat her down on the ground. He did likewise soon after, sitting near the bat whom he carried.

 _Shadow and Rouge have entered Chrome Gadget Zone_.

The Black Wind took a much needed breath after what he just went through. Rouge found herself tiring of the walk not too long after they entered the pipe, and being the drama queen she was, almost required Shadow carry her. He complied just to shut her up when she continued to complain. When Rouge went to sleep however, he began wondering if that was a blessing or a curse.

But none of that mattered anymore. They had finally arrived at the next zone over, and it was Shadow's turn to get his rest. Yawning as he laid beside Rouge, his curious eyes once more gazed around the zone. The metal floors, machines, not to mention multiple catwalks all brought in the image of the slums of Starlight Zone.

It was the governing power's plans. When the tidal waves first appeared, the Acorn Kingdom – that is the Kingdom that controls all the mobian islands – reacted fairly quickly. Those who were hit first by the crisis – Green Hill Zone and Bridge Zone – were told to head north quickly. This created a fairly big problem; a lack of space. The major cities of South Island – Spring Yard Zone and Starlight Zone – found themselves rapidly running out of space as people flooded into their slums.

Shadow's family was among them. Being old soldiers and thanks to his uncle pulling strings, his parents were able to get a reasonably nice living space. Not that his father spent much time; he and many others found themselves going back to Green Hill Zone or other affected areas to see what the damage had been done. All the while, Shadow himself challenged the tidal waves.

This was why he went on this adventure; not to defeat Robotnik (though that is an added bonus), and not to explore this mysterious island. No, Shadow came here to remove Angel Island from the surface of the planet, so that the tidal waves may stop and hopefully things may return to normal.

Shadow glanced over at Rouge briefly; she had curled up at his side in search of heat, her wings over her body like some makeshift covering. The Black Wind shrugged his shoulders at the sight, while his eyes moved away. Hand reaching behind him, the hedgehog pulled out a cellphone. His own _personal_ cellphone. Who may exist on the contacts list of Shadow the hedgehog's phone? Is it even hard to guess?

His parents, his uncle, and Rouge. Granted, for that last one, he had no clue how she got on his phone. However, he couldn't deny the fact that it was handy. If there was any confusion as to why he had the phone out, it was answered fairly quickly as he tracked his contacts down to his parents and pressed 'CALL'. Now it was all a matter of whether or not this place got cellphone reception or not.

 _BEEEEEP. BEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEP. BEEEEP._ _CLICK!_

"Ugh... hrrrmmmph... uh... hello?" a woman's voice on his phone finally answered.

"Hey mom, it's me," Shadow said into the device with his usual monotone voice.

"Huh? M-Maurice? Is that you?" the woman on the other end said, "Hey, hey, hey!" she yawned suddenly as she pulled up, "Sh-Shadow! Oh.. it's..." even though he wasn't there, he just knew his mother was smiling right now, "It's great to hear you. I was... kinda beginning to worry."

"Mom..."

"Say, where are you? Have you found out why we're being attacked by tidal waves yet?"

"Almost..." Shadow said as he scratched the back of his head, "We're working on it."

"Urgh... I don't like the sound of that..."

"Hey... is dad there?"

"No, no, your father isn't here," Bernie replied, a slight sigh escaping her after, "He called me not long before you did. He, Chuck, and the rest of the relief effort are heading down to Bridge Zone and Jungle Zone today. They won't be back until tomorrow night... but don't worry! He promised me he'll be okay."

"Yeah... I know dad'll be fine..." he took in a deep yawn then as he leaned back against the machine, his red eyes once more staring up to the skies, "Hm... it's... uh... pretty tonight, mom..."

"Hm... I wouldn't know," she answered, "You know how it's here at Starlight Zone. The lights where we are blind out the sky; I can barely see a thing. Man is the zone's name so misleading..."

Her slight joke made Shadow laugh, and so did Bernie, lightening the mood for the both of them. Sometimes, when he's out and about on his adventures, Shadow forgets about how others feel; specifically his mother and father. After all, they cared deeply about him, something he loved. He often ran into dangerous situations though, and one of the last things he wanted to think about was his own death.

How would his death affect mom or dad? It were things he wondered about far too much.

"So, Shadow, why the call?" she asked, "Feeling a little homesick? Wondering how your parents are doing? We're still alive if that's what's got you tensed up."

"No, no, I was just calling to... let you know I'm okay," he replied, smiling gently as he did so.

"Thank you, Shadow!" Bernie said into the phone, somewhat sarcastically, but heartfelt nevertheless, "You have no idea how nice it is to hear that coming form _you_ of all people. I know you don't know this, but your father and I could stand to hear it more often. Well... _me_ , at least; you know how your father can be," she grew silent thereafter, giving Shadow enough time to yawn, "Hey, Maurice, if you're too tired, you should take your time to sleep, you know. There's nothing wrong in conserving your energy."

"I know mom..."

"And don't forget to eat something. Remember the last time your father tried to muscle through something and didn't eat? I had to take care of him for days!"

"I know mom..."

"And Shadow...?"

"Yes, mom?"

"Don't forget to call more often. It'll stop me from worrying so much about you, okay?"

He gave a loving smile as he leaned back further, and even chuckled a bit.

"I'll call more mom... promise..."

"Good... now leave me alone, I'm kinda tired and I have a lot of things to do tomorrow, okay? Like taking care of your stupid father when he comes back."

"Okay, okay mom, I'll leave you alone," Shadow said, a small chuckle following suit.

"And Shadow?"

"Yes?"

"There's nothing wrong if you can't cut it. Come back home if you get tired, okay?"

"I will, mom," he answered, "I will..."

"Good... now, I love you?"

"I love you too, mom..."

 _CLICK!_

Yeah, just come home. He wished it was that easy. As much as he'd love to just hop on the Tornado and take a quick jaunt back home, he knew he couldn't. Angel Island proved to be a bigger problem than he thought it would be. What was once just a simple plan to push the island back by using whatever mystical means brought it into being, no longer was the same deal. He needed to deal with an overzealous echidna and – above all – Dr. Robotnik himself. How that egg-obsessed fool constantly survived their bouts would forever be a mystery to the hedgehog.

"Awwwww, so... Shadow's a _momma's boy_ ," he heard snickering, making the hedgehog grow alert.

His red eyes shot over to his side immediately, seeing a pair of teal eyes gaze back. He groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance, making the bat giggle as she pulled up. No longer laying on the ground, she sat up on her hands and knees, while her eyes continued to peer at the hedgehog.

"So, Shadow the hedgehog called his mother... that's so sweet, Shadow!" Rouge giggled, making the hedgehog growl.

"I called my mother to let her know I was okay," he stated, rather matter of fact manner as well, "That was all."

"Still, it's quite sweet of you, Shadow," the bat stated, "All the times we've been together, you've never once called your mother to let her know how you were doing. Or was it the opposite? Were you instead worried about how she was doing, hm? Worried the tidal waves were getting worse?"

"You know, you always ask questions about me," Shadow snapped back, growing on the offensive, "But what about _you_ Rouge? Huh? Tell me about yourself, for a change!"

He said that, hoping she would just shut up and leave him alone. What he hadn't accounted on was Rouge becoming somewhat forth-coming with such a question.

"Well, let's see..." the bat said, as she leaned back on the machine as well, "Ever met Fiona Fox? She's this red thing who's always getting in my way... hm..." her teal eyes rolled while Shadow glared at her in an 'I can't believe her' kind of way, "I remember meeting her years ago, going through the beaches of Neo Green Hill Zone to locate some treasure. She was after it too, with her two goons Bean the Dynamite and Bark the Polar Bear. I fought them off, and got a sizable bit of the treasure all by myself. Fiona never forgave me for doing it, and so we've fought each other on and off time and time again, and each time she brings her hooligans with her..." Rouge's eyes slid over to Shadow, who crossed his arms, "But now I have you for an ally. I wonder, if Fiona attacked me, would you help?"

Shadow looked at her, eyes in a glare, showing he was annoyed by the situation. Rouge remained with her flirtatious gaze, not once losing it as she looked at him. Eventually, the Black Wind scoffed and looked off, while he resigned himself to his rest.

"I'm tired..."

"Ugh, Shadow, it's so hard to make you happy," the bat claimed, "I tell you a little bit about myself, and all you want is silence. Well, if you wanted me to be quiet, why didn't you just _ask_?"

When she said that, he knew it was a personal attack on his person. It annoyed the hedgehog, angered him even, but he didn't say anything. Instead, the hedgehog gave a tiny smirk. His red eyes slid shut moments later, and before he knew it, the hedgehog was drifting off into a nice and quiet slumber.

 _ERRRRR! EEERRRR! EERRRR!_

Well, almost.

Shadow's eyes snapped open rather quickly, alerted by the mysterious noise. Rouge too shot up, called to action by the sound in the distance.

"Did you...?" she began.

He nodded, but didn't say a word. Shadow stood up as he glanced around Chrome Gadget Zone, searching for the noise. Somehow, despite mixed with all the churning machines in the entire zone, that noise stood distinct from the rest. Probably because it sounded so familiar.

Shadow realized sleep would have to be pushed aside for now, and instead started walking further into the zone. Rouge followed suit, and before long, the duo were running. Chrome Gadget Zone was something unlike anything they had traveled through. If one were to draw comparisons, it would best be described as a better Oil Ocean Zone. It lacked that cold and emotionless feel most of Robotnik's Zone owned, and felt somewhat _normal_. It was just another power plant, nothing more, nothing less, granted, it did have its own share of mysterious floating platforms.

Shadow jumped down into a lower level of the zone, causing a press which echoed off the walls. Red eyes glaring around, he searched for the machine which called out to them. Eyes drifting up, he could see the silhouette of something moving in the far distance. In a zone lacking Badniks for some reason, Shadow just knew that figure was the creator of such a noise.

The Black Wind's air shoes ignited, and he ran off on the catwalks. Rushing up staircases and building sides, he moved further and further up the zone with Rouge at his back. They climbed the tall towers above and arrived at the top, and with that vantage point, Shadow gazed upon the zone in its entirety.

So many lights, so bright, and with such a mystery going on deep within. His eyes slid up moments later, and despite the night sky, he could see another zone in the distance. But it was a tad bit too dark for him to make out what this other zone was. He could see large towers, however.

"Hmmm...?"

 _PPSSSSHH! PPSSSSSHHH!_

Shadow and Rouge spun around together at the sound. Two rockets from an undetermined area came roaring after them. Acting off of adrenaline, Rouge immediately pushed herself into Shadow, and the two went falling over the buildings side. Not even seconds later, the roof of the structure was slammed by the rockets, and explosion roared out.

But not a normal one. The building was clad in _ice_. Shadow and Rouge gazed up to the building, confused by the sight. Not fire, but pure _ice_. The rockets froze the building.

"But... how?" Shadow inquired, confused by the sight.

"Shadow! Behind you!" Rouge replied.

He turned around at her alarm, his red eyes laying on the same sight as she. A silver Egg Mobile began to descend in the same area as them. Just like all Egg Mobiles, it was spherical, though with an added attachment. There were a metal rod which attached to a platform at the bottom. On the bottom of this platform, there laid a bed of spikes. Way too sharp to even _look_ at, so one wouldn't imagine actually touching it.

But other than that, this Egg Mobile appeared rather _bare_. Compared to other Egg Mobiles controlled by Robotnik in the past – The Flame Mobile and the Drill Mobile Mk. III – this Egg Mobile appeared to be nothing more but the original model with a few more attachments; it lacked any kind of superior armor.

There was something else incredibly out of place about the machine, and that was who _piloted_ it. Both mobians first saw the image of _blonde hair_. That was the first issue; Robotnik is quite bald, and has brown hair. They also noticed goggles on the beings face, constricting most of her face. Oh yeah, that was something else big; this person was a _girl_. Young woman in fact, far younger than Robotnik himself.

This woman in red pulled herself up, then fastened the hold her gloves had on her fingers. Soon after, a smile appeared on her lips as she looked upon her captive audience.

"Rouge the bat, and..." she faced the Black Wind, where she leaned on her machine's dashboard, "Shadow the hedgehog..."

Rouge's eyes grew wide as an eyebrow rose up high.

"Who the hell are you!?" she shouted, nearly mind-blown by the woman controlling the device.

"Does it matter?" the blonde asked, her voice seemingly taking a jab at the bat, "I would tell you my name, but the both of you will be _dead_ not too long from now. I'd only be wasting my time _and_ my breath. Speaking of which," she pressed a button on her machine, "Get a load of this!"

Suddenly, a small cannon bottom spiked platform expelled a plume of icy cold air. Said air only needed to _touch_ the ground in order to freeze it, meaning lord knows what would happen to actual _flesh_.

Rouge leaped back, putting much distance between herself and the Egg Mobile-F. When she looked to her right however, she saw she lacked something very important; Shadow. Her teal eyes grew wide, and she looked back in front of her. Shadow was there, standing right before the Egg Mobile-F as it approached him ever so slowly. His eyes were wide, as his mind fell into deep contemplation. He stared at the woman; he appeared lost. Then a name echoed from his lips.

"Ma... ria...?"

There was something about this blonde haired woman which had his stomach in knots. Something about her appeared extremely familiar, from her voice to her looks. She was just like the woman in his dreams, the woman who he constantly obsessed over.

But, no, that was impossible. The woman in his dreams simply did not _exist._

"Who are you?" Shadow inquired before suddenly jumping back.

His hand cackled with energy and he flung a Chaos Spear at the Egg Mobile-F, slamming the machine in its side. It caused a sizable explosion which sent the machine back, but no lasting damage. Instead, the woman at the helm of the Egg Mobile laughed, as icy spurts of death flowed from her machine. The ground was covered in ice, causing Rouge to slip and fall on her butt. Shadow helped her to her feet, only to meet a sudden slap against his face.

"The hell is wrong with you!?" Shadow shouted at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Rouge retorted, "What was that!? That woman was about to kill you!?"

 _PPSSSSSHHH! PPSSSSSHHH!_

They turned around together, watching as more rockets of ice came flying their way. The two parted ways quickly and the missiles hit where they once stood, causing mighty glaciers to shoot up from the platforms. Shadow and Rouge said nothing as they stared at the carnage, then both of them looked to one another. Saying nothing, they merely nodded in unison.

Rouge flew up into the air, then swooped to grab Shadow's hands. Pulling him sky high, they hovered above the Egg Mobile-F while it fired almost endless clouds of ice. The woman at the command of the machine began to mash on her buttons as the two got into perfect striking distance.

Rouge suddenly twirled around with Shadow in her arms, gaining as much power and inertia as she could. Suddenly, she tossed the hedgehog at the Egg Mobile-F, firing him off like a missile. Shadow curled into a ball as he flew toward the Egg Mobile-F and was just about to slam into the machine's cockpit, surely breaking it.

But the sight of the woman burrowed itself into his mind. The hedgehog could see her blonde head of the woman, and all of it immediately brought in the sights of his dreams. The woman in his dreams, the one he called 'Maria', the one his entire life was seemingly based around.

Answering the mystery of who she was. For some reason, he knew he couldn't hurt the woman in the cockpit.

Shadow pulled to the side suddenly, missing her completely. Instead, he slammed into the pole which connected the Egg Mobile-F to the bottom platform. The strike severed it clean in half, causing the bottom platform to fall off. Considerable damage was done to the weak Egg Mobile-F, causing the fridge which held the icy attacks in place to explode. Now, the machine was wildly spewing out clouds of ice which froze more of the zone as time went on.

Shadow skidded to a halt on the slippery ground, but not easily enough. He suddenly found himself flying into a metal bare which slammed into his gut, winding him. Rouge descended to the ground slowly, but didn't land to save herself the same fate which befell her ally. Instead, she growled at the hedgehog as her fists sat on her hips.

"What the hell again, Shadow!?" she shouted, "Don't think I wasn't watching, because I was! You could've beaten her but you didn't! Why is that!?"

"Not -ACK!?- now!" he coughed out before turning to face their foe.

"Blast it!" the blonde woman said as she descended in the Egg Mobile-F, "Extensive damage done to Unit Egg Mobile-F. Attacks have been terminated, and extensive damage has been done to armor. Retreat is advised... _dammit_..." she looked up and removed the goggles on her head, revealing the most beautiful blue eyes in the world, "I'll be back..."

The Egg Mobile-F suddenly rose into the sky, now moving on the retreat. Turning around, it went flying into the distance, where it eventually vanished in the night skyline. Rouge was truly confused by the situation; first they're attacked by a blonde woman they've never faced before, then she runs off though the battle was far from over.

"Uhh... wha?" Rouge said as she shrugged in confusion, "Wh-wh-wha?"

She stopped speaking, instead turning over and looking at Shadow. The hedgehog paid his friend no mind, as he instead stared into the distance, to where the woman flew off in the Egg Mobile. He appeared so lost in thought as he stood stoically, his fists at his side, his body immobile. Rouge just knew something was wrong, something so important it was probably best she said nothing pertaining to it.

"Shadow... I'm tired..." she said to him, finally making the hedgehog nod.

"Yeah... I'm tired too..." he answered.

They remained standing in the heart of Chrome Gadget Zone then, not moving until minutes later.

 _Chrome Gadget Zone complete._

 _Next, Launch Base Zone_.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Man, it feels like a while, though it hasn't been. Hm... maybe I just have a headache or something; I don't know._

 _Anyway, this chapter. Chrome Gadget Zone is, like, my favorite two-player stage from old Sonic 3. So much so, I used to image what it would be like as a stage. I've always wanted to travel around Chrome Gadget Zone like it were any other zone, but I would never get the chance for obvious reasons. I don't know, for me, there was always something extremely mystical and extremely enthralling about the zone. Like, somewhere deep in there, there were more adventures to be had. It's kind of just that mystical power Sonic 3 has over me; the backgrounds are probably my favorite parts. So many stories from sights alone..._

 _I delve a little onto Rouge's background, but there's not really much there. After searching through her origins in the games and in the comics, they don't really say much about her. She's just a very good thief who works for G.U.N. I'm pretty sure there's a lot more I could explain, and I plan on doing so in the future. I did mention Fiona Fox though. Kinda get's me thinking..._

 _Also, Maria fights Shadow and Rouge in this chapter. I wanted Shadow to feel entranced by Maria, once again for obvious reasons. it makes me wonder what Robotnik has in mind now that he knows how Shadow reacts when seeing her. I also feel like I could've increased the length of the fight, but I kinda wanted this chapter to be short. After all, the main show's coming soon..._

 _Anyway, next chapter, we tackle Launch Base Zone. For those who don't know, let me tell you this; the first half of this journey is coming to a close. The next half is gonna be even better!_

 _Man! Dontcha love the Death Egg Saga?_

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	10. Propulsion Base Zone Act 1

Propulsion Base Zone

Act 1

His fork jabbed into the mesh of flesh before him. Knife in his other hand, he cleaved the chunk of meat in two, then used his fork to bring it to his lips. It slid within, he closed his mouth, pulled the food off, then began chewing.

"Mm... mm... mm..." the man said, moaning from the delicious taste of his meal.

He nodded his head to the meal, a smile growing upon his lips. The smooth classical music which played in the distance brought a smile to his face. His blue eyes hidden behind glasses turned toward the window. In this massive dinning room, he owned a mighty panoramic window which allowed one to see the sights in the distance. As the sun set, it cast a shadow over the entirety of the zone he sat in. It was beautiful, to say the least.

Launch Base Zone was his crown jewel of brief settlements. Massive in size, it was enough to give the likes of Genocide City Zone, or even _Scrap Brain_ Zone a run for it's money! He built it all with nothing but the sweat of his brow, a wrench in hand, an a nigh invincible army of Badniks and machines. Man, life was good.

It would be even better if that annoying black hedgehog didn't exist. If he had things his way, Shadow would've died – or simply never existed in the first place – allowing his conquest of South Island to go unchallenged. He would've built an army of Badniks and Robians off the small island, then traveled on to West Side Island to do the same. Of course, he'd never stop there; East Side Island would be conquered by his power, and soon after North Island as well. And, hell, why not take over Cocoa Island as well?

The doctor was a man with an insatiable hunger. One island was simply not enough. Two, not even close. Three? Like hell! No, he wanted _everything_. He wanted the entire world to gaze upon him with the same eyes of love and adoration as his cousin Maria. And if they failed to do so, if his capture populace failed to worship the very ground he walked upon, he'd do away with them. As simple as that.

But why stop with the world? Why stop when the entire planet is under his control? Why not continue his stretch to the entire galaxy? The entire _universe_ perhaps? Sure, its simple thoughts, maybe even the deranged hopes of a truly sick and twisted man. But when you gain the ability to turn flesh into metal, living creatures into _machines_ , then why not think _large_?

The door suddenly opened. He turned away from the window in time to see a young woman with blonde hair in a red, yellow and white jumpsuit. She walked over to the opposite side of the mighty dining room table, pulled out a chair, then sat upon it. Then she sighed, as she removed the goggles from her head.

"Maria, so lovely of you to join me," Robotnik said as he smiled at her, "Tell me, did everything go well while you were out?"

"I... failed, Ivo," Maria said as she leaned back in her chair, groaning as if she had just returned from a workout session, "I couldn't kill Shadow or Rouge... I didn't even really divert their course all that much..." he looked down to him, feeling extremely disappointed with herself, "They're still... heading this way, is what I'm trying to say..."

"I assume such a thing would happen," Robotnik claimed as he sighed, eyes drifting to the ceiling, "Shadow has aalways been that kind of being. Far too hardheaded to realize he's in over his head... still..." he looked back down, where a smirk appeared on his lips, "But, Maria dear, do you mind telling me if anything interesting happened? Did you ever _reveal_ your face to Shadow and Rouge, or...?"

"I did," the blonde answered, "When I first attacked him. He seemed... _dazed_..." she placed a finger on her chin, took in a deep breath, and sighed, "It's like... Shadow... didn't attack me at first, even though he could have. I... I wonder why...?"

"Hm... interesting... interesting..."

"And... then there was this moment where he was flying right toward me with enough force to destroy the Egg Mobile-F's weak shields and... he _moved_ himself. He _purposely_ missed hitting me..." when she said that, her eyes grew wide and she looked up, "Ivo... do you know why he would do such a thing?"

"I honestly can't say I do, Maria dear," Robotnik claimed, "Maybe you're just lucky! Like a white rabbit! Hah!"

His laughter made her chuckle as well. Little did she know about her cousin's _true_ intentions. Though he was never one to use Maria in any way, the doctor _really_ hated Shadow. Hearing the hedgehog choke up as he faced his cousin made his mind run at a thousand times a minute. Many plans on how he could use such a force to destroy the hedgehog came to mind, though many would need to be reinforced.

"It's a shame Shadow and Rouge are going to live. But... it's also a blessing."

"How, Ivo?"

"Simple, Maria. If Shadow and Rouge were to live, then they'd missed the grand resurrection of the Death Egg, and we simply can not allow such a thing to happen! Rest, Maria, you've had a long night. But come morning time, prepare the rockets and the Chaos Emeralds! We shall be returning to space by the end of tomorrow evening, understand?"

"Tomorrow?" she said, just as ecstatic as her cousin, "A-a-are you sure!? I mean, there's so much to do! We still haven't even located the Master Emerald, Ivo! Are you sure the Chaos Emeralds will be strong enough to lift the Death Egg into space like they did the first time?"

"With one Chaos Emerald we were capable of lifting the Death Egg into space, Maria," Robotnik claimed with a smirk, "With _seven_ we'll be able to lift the Death Egg and then some! While the Master Emerald must be located, I see very little reason to stall the launch of the Death Egg any further. After all; with the Death Egg in space, it's scanners would surely locate the Master Emerald within a matter of _seconds!_ Something virtually impossible in our current state!"

"You've convinced me, Ivo," she claimed, though that wasn't really all that hard to do, "Fine then! I shall prepare for launch!"

"But what about your rest, Maria?"

"What about my rest?" she retorted, "I'm far, _far_ , too energetic to simply go to sleep now! We're launching the Death Egg soon! I have to ready the Badniks, ready the rockets, ready the Emeralds, heck, I must ready the entirety of Launch Base Zone for such a thing! If we truly plan on rising tomorrow, it's best we prepare at this moment!"

Now excited, the blonde glared toward the dining room's entrance. She hopped up from her chair, not even bothering to get herself something to eat. Instead, she ran out of the room, with the sliding door slamming shut behind her. Robotnik remained in his chair, fork plunging into his food. Smirk appearing on his lips, he brought the morsel of food to his mouth.

"Hm.. hm... hm..."

…

 _SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!_

"Just overhead, Rouge! We're almost there!"

The snowy ridge they ran upon was slowly coming to a end. The hedgehog and bat rolled up the icy hill, slowing down as they came to the top. They had no idea what laid in the distance when they left Chrome Gadget Zone, but knew it was rather large. Many structures which pointed to the sky could be seen from the horizon, but now they had arrived...

"Holy hell..."

… to see _this_ before them. A massive lake, far greater than any lake seen before. It resembled a bay if anything. How endless the water seemed to stretch. But that's not all. There was a massive mechanical base built into the sides of the lake, with many machines running deeper into the zone. So little foliage and grassy life existed in the once pristine zone; all of it now marred by machines which churned on for ages. Buildings stretched as tall as the eye could see, as well as missiles who aimed toward the heavens.

But above all, laid this machine in the far, _far_ distance. And even though it was miles away, it was easily the _largest_ machine in the entire zone. Grand, spherical, black, and with a certain evil genius' face written upon it. The _Death Egg_ in all of its demented glory sat in the lake, half submerged in water. Despite the damage done to it from its fall and destruction, the machine appeared to be close to completion. Machines, cranes, constriction vehicles, you name it, all tended to the Death Egg. In the bed of missiles, rockets were attached to the side. It doesn't necessarily take a rocket genius to figure out what they were planning on doing.

 _Shadow and Rouge have now entered Launch Base Zone_.

"So... the Death Egg survived..." Shadow stated, purely stunned by the situation.

"It also must be the reason why Angel Island fell," Rouge added, making Shadow look at her with a confused stare, "Think about it; when the Death Egg fell, it must have crashed into Angel Island. Because of that, the impact pushed the island onto the planet! I bet if we get rid of the Death Egg, Angel Island will fly back into the sky, and we can be free of this nonsense!" she then smirked and whispered, "And _I_ can start searching for that Master Emerald..."

"Makes since... granted, I was going to destroy the Death Egg regardless..." he smirked, "But, knowing it'll help our cause, might as well enjoy it!"

Shadow leaped down the snowy incline, skating down toward the mechanical plates of the base. Rouge trailed close behind, following as he skated upon the metal flooring. He headed toward the Death Egg with a fervor that could only be matched by Rouge's love of jewels. But in his haste, he failed to take note of two small machines which sat on the sides of the ground.

 _EEERRR! EERRR! EEERRR! EEERRR!_

"What's that?" Rouge asked, making Shadow stop and grunt.

He immediately gazed up, his fists tightening. Shadows glossed over the sun in the shape of birds. But they weren't birds, instead Badniks in the shape of birds. They immediately dive bombed toward the two mobians, who leaped aside to dodge them. A few came howling toward Shadow, who dodged with ease. He leaped right while they banked right, attempting to impale the hedgehog with their metallic beaks.

His hand slammed down upon one with a chop, destroying it in the process. Grabbing another bird from the flock, he turned around and tossed it another bird. The two exploded thanks to the process.

"Rouge?"

"Busy!"

She was fighting something... _different_.

From the ground, two machines shot up. Long, the were like worms. These Badniks whipped their head around in a made attempt to strike Rouge. The bat leaped over one, then ducked under another. Grabbing upon the neck of one, she clenched tightly like a crab and tore the Badnik apart.

Rouge fell back first, right when the other worm-like Badniks struck. She rolled backwards just in time to dodge a powerful impale which threaten to cleave her in half. Getting to her feet, she countered with a swipe to the Badniks' neck, tearing it in half as well. Another explosion sounded off, pushing Rouge back.

She got to her feet, and her back met Shadow's chest. They looked at one another and were just about to talk, when more Badniks appeared. The birds Badniks came rushing for Shadow, pushing them deeper into the zone. Coming on a rotating bridge, the duo found their path blocked by a different looking Badnik. It was small, spherical, with four rotating spiked balls flying around it.

"Spear!"

Shadow shouted as he flung a blast toward the Badnik, only for the blast to be reflected by the machine's rotating spheres. Shadow grunted at the sight, only to step forward. His foot nearly slipped on the rotating bridge, where he landed in a deeper area of the zone. Staring up to the rotating bridge, he watched as Rouge hovered just overhead. Being chased by the bird-like Badniks, she vanished deeper into the zone.

"Rouge, wait!" Shadow called before pulling his hand back.

The spherical Badnik – Orbinaut – hovered down the side of the bridge as it approached Shadow. Spiked shielding rotating rapidly, the Badnik flew toward Shadow. He walked backwards as the robot approached him, his hand pulled up.

 _BANG!_

Shadow's eyes widened, and he turned around. Right behind him another Badnik appeared. Large, green, with two spheres for hands. It was best described as a boxer fused with a frog, mixed with a machine. Robotnik _really_ comes up with weird ideas.

The Badnik – Ribot – pulled back one of its fists. Shooting it forward, it had enough force to decimate a tank. Shadow, knowing what such a blow would do to his body, dodged it accordingly. His hand cackled as he powered up a Chaos Spear unlike any other. Instead of throwing it, he wielded the blast like a weapon.

He swiped at the Badnik with the blast, but it leaped back. Spinning his spear, he readied himself for a counter attack from the machine. It punched and he ducked, then he countered with another swipe of his strike. His blast tore through the arm of the machine, leaving it with only one limb. Shadow smiled as his spear tore into the Ribot's chest, causing its head to whirl. Spinning around, he tossed the husk of the Badniks body at the Orbinaut behind him.

Both erupted into flames from the collision, while Shadow gazed ahead. Air shoes igniting, he took off down into the zone. Turrets opened on the sides of the walls, where they immediately aimed down upon him. They fired in alternating bursts, every one of them missing, though extremely barely. Shadow constantly hopped around, until one bullet slashed against his arm.

His eyes grew wide, then he growled with rage. Turning red, a powerful eruption detonated from his body, destroying each and every gun that threatened to kill him. But his moment of calm was quickly ruined, as more Badniks appeared to strike him down. The bird ones – Flybot767 – swooped down to impale the hedgehog once more. He jumped up, and began scaling the building side. The Flybots aimed toward him, increasing in speed while he increased in speed. Landing on a smooth surface,, he quickly darted to escape the building's edge.

The Flybots emerged then, their jet engines launching themselves toward him. Growling, the hedgehog put his hands together, clenched tightly, then swung with full force. His hands slammed against the lead Flybot, sending it flying toward another. Their collision triggered an explosion, but didn't stop the third of the group. It rushed at Shadow; he countered with a karate chop, severing the machine clear in half.

 _BANG!_

"I... am getting tired of this..." he turned around to face deeper into the zone, "Dammit..."

Immediately the hedgehog started running, skidding to a halt at the rooftop's edge.

"ROOOOOUUUUGGGGEEE!" he shouted out, his hands help to elongate his yell, "WHERE ARE YOU!?"

 _BANG!_

He tensed up, as an explosion echoed out in the far distance. First stunned that Rouge made it that far, Shadow focused his efforts. Leaping off the building, he bolted as soon as he touched upon solid ground. The black wind skated along the roads of Launch Base Zone, picking up speed with every moment that passed.

 _POW!_

Eyes wide. He leaped onto his hand, and rolled right out the way right when a bullet slammed in his direction. It missed barely; had he not been such an artful dodger, he would've been stricken. Glaring into the distance, his eyes laid on a snail which sat on a wall. A snail whose shell owned cannons of all things.

 _POW! POW!_

The Black Wind dodged the next two blasts, then countered with one of his own. However, the snail-like Badnik – Snale Blaster – closed its shell. Upon doing so, his blast was deflected, surprising Shadow. He dodged his own reflected blast, then leaped back as he readied another attack. But where he landed was just as dangerous as before.

Light beamed down on Shadow's face and instinctively he rolled out the way. A beam of light blue energy tore into the ground where he once stood, and he dodged it just barely. He looked up to see a laser cannon on a track, one that aimed at him. The cannon charged up yet another blast, but Shadow destroyed it before it could fire.

Only for one problem to be replaced by yet _another_.

 _POW!_

"AUGH!?"

A powerful blow slammed into his back, sending him flying away. The hedgehog skidded to a halt on the slick metal-plated floor. Growling from the pain, he quickly got back to his feet. Turning around, he faced his attacker. Another one of those Ribot Badniks. He didn't fear the machine; after all, he already destroyed one with minimal effort. But there was something different about this Ribot compared to the last one.

This one had _friends_. Two more Ribot's appeared from behind the lead one, both of their fists attached to their bodies via extendable chains. Shadow lifted his fists as he glared at the trio of Badniks, a low growl escaping his lips.

"Dammit; I don't have time for this!" he stated, when one launched a punch at him.

He leaped over the fist, his hand landing upon the Ribot's shoulder. Foot falling down, he struck the Badnik's head, destroying it in one blow. Another punch flew toward him, but he quickly vanished into a black blur. Reappearing behind another Ribot, his two fists fell down and crushed it's head. This left the last Ribot. Once more vanishing with his super sonic speeds, he tore through the machine with his Spin Dash.

The Black Wind didn't take his time to revel in his destruction; he returned to skating as fast as he could, rolling down the roads in search of his ally. As he did so, he listened to the churning and whirring of the zone around him. Launch Base Zone was unlike any other headquarters Robotnik had crafted before. The entire zone seemed to ooze _life_.

Yeah, actual _life._ There didn't appear to be as many traps in this zone in comparison to the likes of Scrap Brain Zone or Metropolis Zone. No, Launch Base Zone wasn't an endless zone of destruction and hell. There was even patches of water which was clean and pristine; not poisoned by oils and pollution.

But all of this good was quickly done away with when one gazes ahead to the mighty Death Egg sitting in the lake. It was then Shadow began to wonder about Knuckles; why did the red echidna allow the clearly malicious dictator to set up base on the island? Knuckles attacked him the very instant he came to the island, but Robotnik must have been here for a good little while to create such a sizable zones and machines.

There was an interesting relationship between Robotnik and Knuckles, one he needed to know about. But for now, finding Rouge was his top priority.

Shadow began running, and soon after, he stared skating.

…

The monstrosity would soon be gone. He feared this day. Since he was a little boy, he feared one day _this_ would appear. This grandiose egg. Many passages and many scribes told of a day when a mighty egg would appear upon the earth. This egg would incubate for an unknown amount of time, before finally hatching. And once it hatched, this egg – this egg of _death –_ would unleash a dragon of _water_. This dragon of water would then proceed to destroy _all_ life on the earth.

The echidna stared up to the mighty Death Egg, fearing the deadly cargo which was inside. When would it hatch? Would it ever hatch? He didn't care. There were rockets attached to the sides of the mighty egg; too numerous to count. The doctor's plans were coming together, and soon the planet would be freed.

"Uh?"

Turning around, he noticed the spherical underbelly of a certain machine. The machine descended down as to be at the same level as he, revealing a certain blonde haired woman. She had goggles on her face, but quickly removed them. Upon doing so, the woman gave a sunny smile, one that beamed of life and hope. Seeing that smile made the red echidna smile as well, as he stood up tall to face her.

"Maria," Knuckles called out as she pulled in, getting closer to him.

"The time has almost come, Knuckles," the blonde replied before gazing up to the mighty space station, "Ivo's getting ready to lift the Death Egg. With the Chaos Emeralds, we'll be able to lift it into space before the nights over!" she looked back down, "Chaos' horror will be averted, and Angel Island will return to the skies. All will be well, in due time, Knuckles."

 _BOOOM!_

The sudden explosion ruined what would otherwise be a soft moment. Both turned around to gaze at Launch Base Zone, where the explosion roared out. It was deeper in the zone; far from the bay where the Death Egg was located. But knowing the causers of such an explosion, it wouldn't be too far off before they appeared. Immediately, the echidna tensed up, his purple eyes glowing with rage. Feeling the might of power from his island and the Chaos Emeralds behind him, his dreads began rising skyward. But a sudden hand on his shoulder calmed him. He turned over to face Maria, who shook her head.

"We need as much of the Emeralds' powers as we can get, Knuckles," the blonde stated, "So please, refrain from using the power of the Chaos Emeralds..." she turned and faced the zone, "But they are coming. And they'll try to steal the Chaos Emeralds and _destroy_ the Death Egg. Doing so will surely hasten Chaos' awakening. Knuckles..."

"I'm on it..."

Jumping from the top of the tower, the echidna's dreads spread open. Catching the wind, he began gliding his way toward the zone, aiming to catch the intruders who threatened to destroy everything.

Maria drifted alone for a few more seconds, before sliding down the goggles on her face. Tongue sliding out of her mouth, she rose to the air. Time to get back to work...

…

 _POW!_

His fist slammed into the body of the machine before him. The pure power of such a power launched the robot back, causing it to collide with the wall. Said collision triggered an explosion as the Ribot flattened against the wall.

Running out of the building, the hedgehog found guns on every corner of the area. They all aimed toward him, and in unison fired. The hedgehog growled as he dashed forward, suddenly skating down the metal-plated hill. Going down the ramp, he rolled through the zone at speeds that could overtake race cars. Sliding to a stop at the bottom of one such ramp, he placed his hands around his mouth like a horn and shouted out,

"ROOOOOUUUUGGGEEE!"

He got no answer from his roar, which caused him to growl. Straightening up, his ears perked, and he listened out for something. That's when he heard a familiar sound.

 _WHIIIIRRRRRRRRR!_

The Black Wind stared skyward, noticing a certain egg-shaped machine. It floated above him, and appeared to be blissfully ignorant of the hedgehog's existence. Shadow growled at such a sight, and his fists tightened.

"Robotnik!"

Shoes flaring up, he gave chase to the Egg Mobile drifting above. Wherever Rouge was, he knew it would lead him to her. He rolled through the zone at sonic speeds, now ignoring the Badniks which attempted to dodge him. He leaped over and on top a few, destroy some, leaving others. During his chase, the Egg Mobile flew into a building far away. The hedgehog gazed at the building, noticing a pair between them. Shaking his head, he invaded.

His foot kicked the large metal doors of the building open, causing them to fly. Entering the building, his eyes scanned the insides, realizing it was a massive factory. Badniks of various shapes and sizes – including some of the 'mid-bosses' seen so far – were all being crafted in this hellish factory. Shadow's rage spiked at such a sight, realizing the deadly dictator was creating a mechanical armor powerful enough to take _any_ land. If he were given a few more months to prepare, God knows how many forces he'd have.

But then his red eyes slid skyward. The Egg Mobile he chased hovered above him, now carrying something. It was a strange yellow box, and it pulled said box skyward. Turning, the Egg Mobile floated higher into the building, aiming for an escape hatch somewhere above.

"You're not getting away from me!" Shadow growled as he ran inside the inner workings of the factory, "I swear, if Rouge is in there!"

He leaped upon the mechanical husks of Badniks being crafted, jumping up and between the two. Climbing higher and higher, he landed upon a conveyor belt while his eyes stared back to the Egg Mobile. It was still out of reach, and Shadow continued chasing. He leaped upon a metal beam, vaulted from it, and landed upon a higher plain of the factory. Said plain was where the guns and ammo sat. Shaking his head, he leaped up even higher, clearing the distance between himself and the Egg Mobile as fast as he could. Tricky jump after tricky jump propelled Shadow higher, but the Egg Mobile remained out of reach.

That is until Shadow was on the same level as its exit. While it flew through the door to make way, he dashed for it. His hand reached out to grab the yellow cage, and his fingers just barely graced it. Something else slammed into his face then.

As strange as it sounds, the punch was _familiar_. The way his body recoiled from the fist, the way it flew back. How everything went dazed, and his entire vision blurred. Being punched by machines was _nothing_ compared to being punched by this being.

Shadow's body slammed into a wall, where he crumbled a bit. Landing on his feet, he felt incredibly weak. But his resolve was still as strong as ever, and he quickly recoiled from such pain.

"Knuckles!" he shouted, already knowing full well who it was that attacked him.

He stared ahead toward the entryway, seeing the red echidna he roared at. Knuckles looked back, purple eyes glaring like knives into Shadow's soul. The Egg Mobile he chased had now escaped into another building not too far away. This angered Shadow to no end.

"You _want_ me to kill you, don't you!?" Shadow inquired, eyes glowing with rage, "If you wanted it so badly, why didn't you just ask!? I'll gladly oblige!"

"Your taunts mean nothing to me, Black Wind," Knuckles replied as he lifted his fists, "I won't allow you to take another step toward the Death Egg; not alive at least!"

"Fine then, be that way," Shadow said as he lifted his hand, calling upon his Chaos Powers, "I'll simply kill you now, and make my way along after!"

His blast of Chaotic origins charged in his fists, and he glared at his foe. Knuckles on the other hand lifted his fist, causing the entire area to shake. Shadow stared around, eyebrow raised, stunned by the force of strength the echidna exhibited. Knuckles' fist glowed a green color, before he punched the ground with all his might.

"EEEEYAAAAAH!"

The one simple action caused a geyser of energy to erupt under his feet. Said geyser tore through the area toward Shadow, who lifted his arms up to defend himself against the blast. The blaze launched Shadow back, but didn't do as much damage to him as he expected. Instead, the building was revealed to have taken the brunt of the destruction.

The walls began crumbling, the support beams started shaking, the entire factory was about to come down upon itself. Knuckles pulled himself through the doorway moments later, while Shadow darted for the door. He dodged the falling debris which threatened to kill him, then leaped through the doorway to escape absolute death.

 _GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

The building continued falling, just as Shadow laid on the outside. It fell to pieces before his very eyes, and sent a large plume of smog and dust throughout the entire first-half of the zone. Shadow turned around to face the latter-half of the zone, but Knuckles was nowhere in sight. However, he now stood on a bridge which led into another building merely yards away. Strengthening his resolve, he ran for the building's entrance.

Skating into the building yonder, Shadow's eyes fell upon the Egg Mobile he chased from before. It was settling that yellow cage into the wall, the very one Shadow saw it carrying. The Egg Mobile detached the cord which it used to tow the cage, then flew higher where it eventually vanished through a hole in the ceiling.

Shadow stepped forward to continue the chase, only for the yellow cage the Egg Mobile relinquished to start opening. Gears twisted and turned, and it began to slowly slide apart. Steam rose through the cage, which clouded the machine which exited. He saw something large and circular; silver, yellow, with spikes on the size. Shadow rose an eyebrow at the machine as it approached him, then his head shook to and fro.

Twin Hammer.

"I'll deal with you..." he stated as he pointed at the machine, now realizing the cage did not hold Rouge, "I'll deal with you fast..."

The spikes on the sides of the machine shot out, revealing the spikes were connected to the machine via chains. Said chains rotated around the machine's body, while it approached him. Suddenly, one spiked ball shot out at sonic speeds with deadly accuracy. Shadow's body leaped high in a blur, and he bounced against the walls. Appearing behind the machine, he put his hands together. A yellow light glowed between his palms, and this light started spinning like a saw blade.

"HAH!"

His spinning blade slammed upon the machine, cutting through steel with its power and speed. But the Badniks' tough armor rebuffed the hedgehog's attacks. Shadow eventually leaped back, landing on the ground again, his red eyes on the machine floating overhead. His attack was strong enough to scar the robot, but did no more damage.

He quickly readied his hands for another attack, ruby eyes cutting through the machine's body. It turned around and faced Shadow, then launched both chains at the hedgehog. He dodged both with elusive movements, and once more leaped into the sky. Curling into a tight ball, he homed in onto the machine, slamming into its body. But the robot's body bounced Shadow back, sending him skyward.

He landed on the ground while the Twin Hammer chased Shadow down, spinning the spiked balls around its body. Shadow summoned another Chaos Spear, this one augmented to hold piercing power.

"YAH!"

He threw the spear at the Twin Hammer, his attack slamming into one of its retractable chains. The powerful Chaos Spear tore through the tempered steal, causing the ball and chain to fall to the earth. But if Shadow thought the fight was over, he was wrong. The Twin Hammer redoubled its efforts, now spinning its last remaining chain at twice the speeds.

The hedgehog smirked at the sight, preparing a stance to finish his foe off once and for all. The Twin Hammer aimed its remaining spike toward Shadow, and he readied himself for the attack.

 _EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_

"Wha?"

An ear-piercing screech echoed into his ears, making the hedgehog growl with pain. His vision became blurred, and he found it nearly impossible to remain standing on his feet. His entire body roared with pain, while everything moved in slow motion.

"What's... happening to... me?" he growled as he fell to his knees, struggling to keep himself going.

Then his eyes widened, as the shock overcame him. Knuckles' punch from before broke his body down like this. How the effect came so long after didn't matter anymore; Shadow was handicapped.

 _SWISH!_

"Ah!?"

His eyes grew wide as adrenaline and instinct took over. Shadow stared ahead to the spike heading his way, realizing the attack was launched. Shadow sidestepped the blow just in time to avoid death, but not fast enough to enjoy injury. A spike tore into his body, creating a wound in his side. Working off of reflexes, Shadow's hand slammed into the chain which was attached to the ball and robot. Clenching it tightly, he turned red, his strength increasing tenfold. He easily pulled the Twin Hammer around and threw into the wall, where it crashed and created a hole.

But the fight wasn't over. The Twin Hammer retracted its chain and floated toward Shadow, who had fallen to his feet. Gripping his side, he now had to deal with the pain of his injury, and the pain from Knuckles' punch. But the Black Wind wouldn't give up. Even if he was weak, he'd keep fighting. Standing up, he readied his body for another strike.

"C'mon, you," Shadow growled, finger wagging in a taunt, "I'm not dead yet... ugh..." optics locked in on Shadow immediately, "Chaos..."

"YAAAAAAAH!"

"Huh!?"

Shadow's eyes grew wide, as a white blur fell onto the machine. Said blur slammed onto the Twin Hammer's body, specifically the area Shadow sawed into. The power of the blow dropped the Twin Hammer to the ground, but not only that. The powerful blow tore the machine in _half_. The halves of the powerful Badnik fell to the ground, where explosions riddled it. All the while, the white being that struck it stood tall, her hand dragging against her forehead. She sighed and nodded at the sight, before smiling sultrily toward her friend.

"Hey, Shadow," she called, smile on her face, "How's it going?"

"Rouge?" Shadow replied, eyes wide, "Where'd you come from? Ugh!?"

He fell to his knees, hands on his side, alerting Rouge. She ran to him with a smile on her face, hand touching his lesion. When she touched it, he winced, and even attempted to push her off. But she simply looked at him, shook her head, then nodded.

"I guess _I_ was a little too _slow_ ," she said, as her hand reached away, grabbing another one of those first-aid coils she had on hand, "I was looking for you after we got separated, ya'know, Shadow? Called your name a few times even. I was afraid something like this would happen..."

"What? You worried for me?" Shadow said with a smirk as Rouge wrapped the coils around his body and wound, "I was the one looking for you."

"And why's that?" Rouge asked, smile on her face, "Was Shadow the hedgehog – the legendary Black Wind – _worrying_ for me? Ya'know, that would create far too much scandals. You being all soft and stuff..." she giggled, "You don't have to spare my feelings, Shadow."

"No... seriously, Rouge... I was worried for you..." he grunted as she applied pressure to his wound and coils, "I know I don't say this often but..." he sighed, "I do worry for those I _care_ about..."

Rouge was slightly taken aback by such a statement, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Staring at the hedgehog, he looked away toward the exit instead.

"Are you done yet?" he asked, of her.

"Y-yeah, Shadow," she replied.

"Good..." he answered with a grunt, standing to his feet, "Now... we have to get moving..."

His shoes ignited and he skated off, not taking any time to properly adjust from such pain. Rouge lingered behind briefly however, feeling something swell in her chest.

"Now, now, Shadow," she whispered to herself, "You really know how to act like a big _baby_ , don'tcha?"

She began running soon after, not about to let him escape her like the last time. Exiting the building, they realized they were far closer to the Death Egg than they were before. The massive space station was only a few meters away; they'd arrive with only a few moments to spare.

But...

 _Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1_.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Hey you guys! Few! It's been a while, hasn't it? What too me so long? Well, stuff, ya'know? Vacation and, I bought this shiny new game called Super Mario Maker. So... yeaaaaaaahhhh..._

 _Anyway, this chapter technically marks the beginning of the end of Sonic 3. After all, Launch Base Zone is the last Zone of Sonic 3, and transitions into Sonic and Knuckles. So felt like I needed to make it massive and explosion. I wanted Shadow and Rouge to be in constant terror around ever turn. After all, Launch Base Zone's Sonic 3 variation is incredibly hard. But it was made easier for Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Splitting the zone into two parts feels like I can get more out of Launch Base zone and its 4 bosses. Way more than I could get into one chapter, anyway._

 _Plus, Knuckles so used Power Geyser. How many of you all even know what I'm talking about?_

 _Anyway you guys, I think I'mma call it a day for now. The chapter's over and hopefully I'll be able to update it in due time. Quite love this story, ya'know?_

 _Speaking of Knuckles, I always found it weird how he used a bomb to blow up that building in Sonic 3. So, in this chapter, he just uses Power Geyser. Him using raw strength to level a building makes way more since than using a bomb._

 _Knuckles with a bomb, hah! Stupid..._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	11. Propulsion Base Zone Act 2

Propulsion Base Zone

Act 2

His air shoes flared powerfully as he propelled down the pipes, a certain white-furred bat flying right at his back. His blood was boiling the closer he strayed; the sight of that space station growing ever so large. Was it him, or was it _bigger_ this time in comparison to the last time he saw it? For some reason, looking at the massive egg of doom sitting in a lake made him think about it. How small and yet how grandiose it all appeared at the same time. And how that face it held looked so disturbingly _familiar_ in many ways.

"Shadow, we're getting closer," Rouge warned as they approached the lake's edge, "But..." her teal eyes drifted skyward, "Watch out!"

His eyes glanced up; a flock of mechanical birds dive-bombed towards them. Growing annoyed with their constant advancements, the Black Wind merely slashed his hand out to the wind. A green wave of energy emanated from his body, destroying each and every one of those birds with great ease. As they fell to the ground, leaving Rouge stunned, the hedgehog quickly leaped from the pipeline he traveled upon, and instead to a thin metal wire. Grinding upon the wire with his mighty shoes, he roared toward the lake's edge with red eyes glowing.

The ground began shaking. Shadow bounced up and down on the wiring, red eyes wide from confusion. Staring towards the lake's edge, he watched as a magnificent wall – Robotnik's last defense – slide from a small opening in the earth. It separated the rest of the zone from the lake which held the Death Egg, and even tossed a few Badniks out of the way as well.

The wall grew and grew, bathing the zone in mighty shade. It did not stop growing until it grew to an insurmountable level. The wire Shadow skated upon came to a stop at the head of a tower, and so too did Shadow. Leaping off of the wire to the tower's vantage point, he gazed up to the wall with eyes shocked. How did Robotnik find the time to create such a thing?

"Well wouldya look at that," Rouge murmured as she hovered at her partner's side, "That doctor sure does come up with the greatest countermeasures. But..." Shadow glanced at her in an annoyed manner while she giggled, "I _guess_ I could just fly us over it."

"Rouge..."

"Just give me your hands."

She reached down to him, grabbing his hands as he handed them to her. Wings flapping, she began taking off to fly over the large wall. But as they approached the wall's edge, a strange tower suddenly began growing from the center. This tower – one with a familiar dome shape at its top – didn't stop extending until the optic at the top had a perfect sight over everything in the zone. On the neck of it, the words 'BALL SHOOTER' sat in white.

What the hell could that mean?

It's red eye suddenly shot down, glaring at the two mobian's attempting to overtake it. The lens on it intensifying, turrets from the wall suddenly opened up. Every one of those cannon's turned their barrels directly to them.

 _CHA-CHINK!_

"ROUGE! GET DOWN!"

"HUH, WHA!? AHHHH!?"

 _RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!_

A sudden thrust downward, and they both fell at incredible speeds. Just in time to dodge the bullets which threatened to tear holes through their bodies. Shadow slammed into the metal ground hard, before jumping to his feet. Rouge gracefully landed however, rubbing her arms from the pain of being so violently forced down.

Before she got the chance to talk his ear off, a hail of gunfire fell upon them. They separated quickly, moving to create harder targets for the gunfire to strike. While they did so, another, larger slot, within the wall suddenly opened. From this slot, a massive steel ball shot out, one twice the size of both Rouge and Shadow.

This ball went flying, through the air before crashing into the ground. Once it did, instead of bouncing off into the distance, the ball spun around. It began chasing Shadow, who was shocked by such a sight.

Was the ball _alive_?

Readying a chair spear, he flung it at the object, only for his attack to bounce away. Before it got the chance to roll over him, he leaped over it with one graceful bound. Shadow landed safely on the other end, his ardent eyes glaring at the sphere. Turning red, he focused his strength into his fist. The ball turned around and steamrolled towards him, while he cocked his fist back.

"Chaos..." he growled right when his fist struck the ball, "NIGHTMARE!"

A wicked explosion roared right when Shadow punched the ball, blowing to pieces with its mighty force. The Black Wind remained standing on the other end, the red sheen over his body slowly dying out. Growing loose in his footsteps however, such an exertion of his powers seemed to take its toll over his body.

"Shadow! Are you okay?" Rouge asked as she landed near him, her hands checking to make sure if he were okay or not.

"Urgh... I-I'm fine..." he said standing up, his hand rubbing the knuckles of his fist.

"You really need to stop that!" the bat berated him, threatening to slap him against his head, "You don't have a Chaos Emerald! You can't keep using up your powers, unless you are trying to shoot yourself in the foot."

Shadow merely glared at her, feeling incredibly annoyed by her statement. Opening his mouth to retort, the sound of another sphere being loaded caught his ear. Both he and Rouge looked to the slot in the wall, right when another ball was shot out. The two broke away rather quickly, while the steel sphere came flying out. This time, it aimed for Rouge, who flew up high to dodge it.

Feeling rage in his throat, Shadow glared up to the head of the Ball Shooter. His air shoes ignited, causing him to take off for the machine. Slamming his feet on the wall, he took off in a 90 degree angle upwards.

He skated higher and higher, his hand reaching out to claw at the Ball Shooter. The turrets that fired guns shifted their attentions towards him, but the hedgehog was far too fast to strike. He darted left and right, dodging each one with ease and skill, and destroying a few that came across his path. A line of explosions riddled the wall, the final one sending Shadow skyward.

The optic of the Ball Shooter locked onto Shadow as he fell through the sky. Turning yellow, the Black Wind curled into a ball and flew straight into the Ball Shooter's face. The powerful strike easily destroyed the machine's optic with one single blow. But he wasn't pleased with just one strike; Shadow began slamming the machine continuously with various attacks. His constant barrage of strikes eventually riddled down the Ball Shooter, with one final penetration causing it to erupt into flames.

Shadow fell on the other side, back first, groaning from pain. That wasn't the most optimal way of landing, ya'know. Red eyes opening as his hand rubbed his back, the Black Wind found himself staring upon the Death Egg in all its glory. He also realized this was the _first_ time he got to see the space station in such a way.

He got the time to fully take in the sight of the machine. When he saw it at West Side Island, it was already hovering no the edge of space. But here, in the launch pad that was a lake, it appeared _real_. Yeah, _real_. There was just something incredibly _surreal_ about the Death Egg that never truly went away until now. This dastardly bastion which haunted his nightmares, had finally returned to haunt his reality.

Standing up, the hedgehog took a few steps toward the lake's edge. The path to the Death Egg was one marred with construction poles jutting from the lake bottom, and nothing more. There wasn't even a road which could make things any easier. If Shadow was going to make his way to the Death Egg to properly destroy it, he was going to need to make a few jumps.

Or, he could use the nice Egg Mobile sitting in a docking bay not too long from where he stood. When Shadow saw it, he couldn't help but to smile. Talk about convenient.

"Ack! Shadow! What the heck?" Rouge groaned as she flew over the edge to join him, her arms crossed and eyes glaring upon him, "What? You thought you could get away with leaving me down there?"

"I wasn't going to leave you," Shadow stated as he walked over to the Egg Mobile, "If I was going to leave you, I wouldn't be here right now, now would I?"

"That's not getting you off the hook with me!" she warned with fist shaking, before raising an eyebrow, "Say... what are you doing?"

"Getting us a ride to the Death Egg," he claimed as he leaped inside, "Care to join me?"

Rouge gazed at him with a less than stellar eye, before rolling those teal orbs of hers. Grabbing Shadow's outstretched hand, she carefully stepped inside of the machine which was usually commanded by their arch-nemesis. Kind of a weird feeling, honestly. Not to mention an even weirder _smell_.

Shadow simply ignored it, Rouge couldn't. She vocalized her disgust, claiming it was that fat doctor's smell. The Black Wind merely pressed on however, his eyes glaring at the object of his hatred. How many times had he thought about this? Must have been many by now. This was simply a mission to send the island flying back into space. Instead, the hedgehog found himself fighting his enemy again.

But this time, things were _different_. And, no, no, it had nothing to do with Knuckles, though that was a change as well. No, this time Shadow had full intentions on ending Dr. Robotnik _forever_. The first chance he got to kill the fat doctor – the very first chance – he was going to take it. He was going to crack that egg-shaped fool.

 _SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!_

"What was that?"

"Shadow... the Egg Mobile's screen is..."

The Black Wind gazed down to the screen on the dashboard, watching as it static filled it. Slowly but surely, the static image began to fade, and something more palpable fizzled into existence. First, a pair of burning red eyes, much like his own. However, these red eyes were more _robotic_ , in a way.

But as time went on, more of the image came into being. The first thing he saw was a bald head, then a magnificent mustache. Shortly after, _his_ trademark sadistic smile came into being. Before long, Shadow found himself staring at his most hated enemy; the demented dictator, Dr. Robotnik.

"Doctor!" Shadow shouted, causing Rouge to jump slightly.

"Oh, please Shadow, let's not start this again," the doctor said with his hand waving, acting nonchalant about the entire situation, "I don't want you to tire yourself out before the festivities begin."

"Yes, I wouldn't want to miss the chance of beating you again, Robotnik."

"So sure of yourself, as usual, Shadow," Robotnik said with head shaking, his arms crossed, "Do you like what you see? The Death Egg? Amazing, right? Many years after my defeat, I focused all my intentions on building this beautiful vessel. I got the idea from my grandfather. Professor... well... never mind; I wouldn't want to get ahead of myself? My grandfather created many things, and I've been working so hard to do what he did... but then you constantly show up," the doctor grew incredibly enraged, though it was eerily subdued, "You may try to stop the Death Egg, but you'll only fail. Unfortunately for you, I have far passed the point of mercy. Even if you give up – which you foolishly won't – I will use everything in my power to end your life in the most painful way I can possibly think of."

"I'd like to see you try, Doctor," Shadow said, a visage matching Robotnik's level of sadism on his face, "I will make sure to act on the first slip-up you have, and eradicate your life."

"I will be awaiting that moment..." _CLICK!_

"SHADOW! WATCH OUT!"

So caught up in his conversation with Robotnik, the hedgehog nearly didn't notice the being before them. In fact, was it not for Rouge's warning, he probably would've died that very moment. Or at the very least been gravely wounded.

Rouge's shout caused him to look up, just in time to see _Knuckles_ of all people. The echidna warrior had his fists raised high, then cocked the right one back. As he did so, Shadow and Rouge jumped back; Knuckles punched forward.

His fist slammed into the Egg Mobile, triggering an explosion which shook even the lake's water some thousands of feet down. Both Shadow and Rouge landed upon corresponding towers, watching as the dust settled. Once it did, their eyes fell upon Knuckles, who remained stoic against them.

"Knuckles!" Shadow shouted, "You know, I've had just about enough of you!"

"Black Wind," he called as he looked at Shadow, "Bat..." he murmured as he looked at Rouge, causing her to grow angry.

"HEY! I have a name!"

"The Death Egg must rise," Knuckles claimed, stunning the two of them, "Robotnik has told me of the evil you two are capable of, but even you fools must know the power in that egg is far too strong to be contained! If you attempt to destroy the Death Egg, it will only open, and _Chaos_ shall rain upon the planet!"

"The heck is he talking about?" Rouge asked, eyebrow raised.

"I don't know," Shadow answered as he stood tall, "But my patience with this fool has far passed warn thin..." his hands began to pick at the golden rings around his wrists, something Rouge noticed, "Knuckles... I'm on a mission to stop whatever stupid plan Robotnik has up his sleeves. If you intend on standing in my way, so be it. This fight shouldn't take anymore than a few seconds..."

Suddenly, a hand fell on his shoulder. The Black Wind looked to his right, seeing Rouge who hovered beside him. She shook her head, then glanced down to his rings, knowing full well what he was planning.

"Shadow, if you do that, you'll have nowhere near enough power to defeat Robotnik. You've already wasted enough energy as is; do you really wanna risk it to beat one guy?"

"Robotnik is planning on launching the Death Egg again, Rouge. I have to stop him before he does so."

"I know, and I'm not going to stop you," she replied with a sweet smile, "So why don't you go ahead and do that? I'll stick around and deal with Knuckles."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Am I sure?" she replied, slightly annoyed that he questioned her abilities, "Don't give me that, Shadow! If I can keep up _and_ deal with you on a regular basis, I think I can put up with an echidna. What? You don't believe in my abilities?"

"No, no," he replied, letting go of his Inhibitor Rings as he did so, "I believe you..."

Red eyes slowly shifted back to Knuckles, who remained tense in the situation. The Black Wind got ready, as if he were about to attack, only to leap up and over the echidna. Seeing this, Knuckles shouted at him and leaped to attack. Before he could however, a pair of feet struck him in his back. The red echidna flew toward the lake's body, before catching the wind with his dreadlocks. Gliding back up to the top of the towers, he landed upon one and faced his attacker.

"Don't you know it's rude to turn your back on a lady?" Rouge scolded as she blue him a kiss, "Let's see how long you can keep things going. I am a difficult woman to please, after all."

"Stupid bat," Knuckles growled, "Once I'm done with you, then I'll deal with the Black Wind!"

He didn't wait for her to utter another word, instead throwing himself straight at her. His fist slammed upon the tower she stood on, sending it crumbling but missing her completely. She flew back, then countered with a kick as he jumped to an adjacent tower. Dodging her kick, he was unable to repel her long enough to stop her next strike. She kicked again; he blocked it. He struck with a punch; she dodged it. Then the back of her leg struck the back of his head, causing him to fly over. Landing on a lower platform, he had to rub his skull as it rumbled with pain.

"That's for what you did to Shadow, earlier," she stated from above, causing him to look up, "He's a big softy, ya'know? Whenever someone messed with his pride, he get's super whiny. And you know who has to deal with that crap? Me!"

"You surprisingly care a lot for your friend," Knuckles claimed as he looked up to her, "But such partnership won't protect you here! Prepare yourself!"

Fists raised, he jumped to strike the bat before him. Rouge did likewise; leaping down with her feet to counter.

…

 _SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!_

"Auf... fuuu..."

From tower to tower, Shadow jumped with speed and skill. He had no idea where he was going, but knew he was getting closer. Traveling along the bottom side of the Death Egg, he searched for any area to make his entrance. That's when, from the side, he saw a small platform stretched out. The hedgehog focused on the area, and ran for it without stopping. With one mighty leap, he landed upon the circular red platform.

"Okay," the mumbled to himself, "Now... how do I get in this thing...?"

Looking over to the black steel of the Death Egg, he simply thought about blowing his way inside. However, this daunting feeling overcame him, stopping his movements. Shadow felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety at that moment; as if he weren't alone.

He turned around, glancing over the edge of the platform from afar. Walking toward it, he stared down over the platform. As soon as he did so, a grand rocket appeared right beside him. Shadow leaped back, while his red eyes trailed up and down the missile.

It was steel, a silver platinum color throughout most of it. This machine also had to be about two, three, maybe _four_ Egg Mobile's tall in shape. There were two alternating rings on the machine, both of them holding strange cannons that sparked with uncontrollable electricity. And at the top of this machine, a cockpit like most other Egg Mobile's of its kind. However, it was who was in the cockpit that had Shadow stunned.

There she was again; the blonde who attacked he and Rouge in Chrome Gadget Zone. She had those same goggles around her eyes, and her hair done up in pigtails. Her hands danced along the controls of her machine, while her face bore nothing but malice.

"EEEYAAAH!" Maria shouted as her finger slammed on her console.

That instant, the cannons on her machine suddenly began spewing out thick rays of blue light. These rays were lasers, and would easily tear through Shadow had he not moved. He leaped away, his attentions immediately spiking. The rocket continued to rise until vanishing, but for how long?

Growling, the Black Wind grew enraged. Not only with the fight, but with himself; what the hell was going on? Who was that blonde that had his emotions in such a flux right now? There was something about her that felt familiar, something about her that felt _sacred_.

She reappeared shortly after, right behind him. Another laser blast fired out, missing the dazed hedgehog just barely. The blast slashed across his shoulder, causing him to grunt with pain. Turning around to see that Egg Mobile unit once more, and the woman in control of it, he readied a Chaos Spear.

"Who are you!?" he shouted at the woman, "Answer me now, dammit!"

"I have nothing to say to you, Shadow the hedgehog," the blonde claimed as she continued pressing on buttons, "ExceptDIE!"

More laser blast rained down on Shadow's position, forcing him to dodge. He leaped up, over, and under blasts, his mind replaying her voice in his head. Everything about her, from her looks to her voice, sounded so familiar. It also sounded so _heavenly_ , like some sort of _angel_.

Closing his eyes briefly, he searched through his mind like a database, connecting that voice to anything and everything. The first thing his mind came across was his first battle on the Death Egg. When he faced his Silver Shadow duplicate, its voice was the same as this woman's. Not only that, but he connected it to an even earlier moment; a moment on South Island long ago. That woman's voice taunted him in Scrap Brain Zone, though he never knew who or what it was.

But there was simply _more_ to it than that. Like a memory he couldn't, or _wouldn't_ remember.

Now was not the time to occupy his mind on such thoughts, however. He was in a battle, one necessary to win in order to save lives. Destroy the Death Egg, send Angel Island back to the heavens, get home and have dinner with mom and dad. That was the plan at the moment.

"CHAOS SPEAR!" Shadow howled as he flung his blast toward Maria's machine, slamming one of her many laser cannon's.

The one closest to the bottom suddenly caught fire, as it was charged with a power that wasn't its own. Maria began to frantically slam on her machine, while the cannon suddenly exploded. The explosion traveled to the other cannon, destroying that one too. Maria was forced to detach the bottom-most section of her rocket-like Egg Mobile.

As Maria made her temporary retreat, Shadow glanced down to the hand he used to fling the blast. Maybe Rouge's way of fighting was the correct way; there was a certain finesse to everything. Constantly exerting his powers like an idiot was a sure fire way to tire himself out; like he's already done so many times before. But depending on the situation, weaker blasts may be just work if he finds his enemy's weak spot.

As Maria reappeared on the other end of the platform, rising with her laser cannons ready, Shadow started to charge his own attack. Glowing rings of light appeared around his hands, and his eyes settled upon the cannon's at her disposal. Smirking, the hedgehog flung twin beams of energy towards Maria's cannons. His blasts met their targets; the two cannons began surging with almost too much energy.

Alarms began blaring in Maria's cockpit, as the screen on her console began to show too much information for her to parse in a timely manner. Curse this body of hers; had she remained a hologram and thus apart of the systems, she would have already known all the information she needed.

Instead, the information telling her to detach the second rocket came too late, and an explosion far too close echoed out. Maria was launched away in her Egg Mobile, sending her flying for areas unknown. Seeing this, Shadow ran to the edge of the platform with his hand stretched out.

"Wait!" he shouted, "Who are-" but it was too late, "You...?"

The mysterious blonde woman who had him confused was knocked away, leaving Shadow with even more questions than before. Questions that, as usual, will probably go unanswered for many days to come. Good thing he wasn't as bothered by it as he should have been; he had bigger fish to fry.

Gazing up to the massive Death Egg, he got ready to dive inside and destroy it like he planned. When everything began shaking. Violently so. Shadow was forced to the ground in a somewhat crouched position, with one hand to the ground and the other hand up. For some strange reason, not only was the Death Egg shaking, but all of Launch Base Zone as well.

Staring down, he found the answer to the surprise. The rockets attached to the Death Egg were activated. Far below, the lake of Launch Base Zone grew extremely violent, as the thrusts of the engines ignited.

Whether Shadow liked it or not, the Death Egg was rising.

…

"Hah... hah... ha..."

"Hah... hah... ha..."

Great. Her _clothes_ were ruined. One strap of her overalls had been torn asunder, rendering it useless without some good threads. Holes peppered her overalls up and down, as well as some holes in her shirt beneath. Some scratches marred her usually flawless face, and some welts surely existed beneath the clothes she wore at the moment.

That's not to say her enemy was no worse for wear. If anything, he was just as bad as she was. His body held injuries as well, with scratches on his face and body. War paint plastered upon his chest and face had been marred thanks to the sweat he incurred from the fight, and even some of his luscious dreads appeared ruined thanks to the fight.

That's not to say either side was ready to give in. No, a fight like this couldn't be ended with mutual consent. A fight like this could only end with an outside force intervening, or one of the combatants _dying_. As simple as that.

Rouge lifted her hands once more, putting them out in front of her like her usual fighting style. Knuckles did likewise, when he realized the bat was about to attack again. However, their fight was suddenly interrupted by an abrupt earthquake. At first, it was light, but quickly grew violent. The towers the two mobians warred upon even began shaking, as they were too weak to continue standing from the powerful quakes.

"What's going on here?" Rouge questioned, her teal eyes glancing around.

"The Death Egg," Knuckles stated as he stared off to the distance.

The rockets on the Death Egg began pushing skyward, their flames pushing out from the lake. Now rising, Rouge could only watch in fear as she realized there was simply nothing she could do about it.

That's when the tower she stood on finally broke apart, falling into the lake below. She and Knuckles did likewise, with Rouge attempting to fly away. However, she crashed into the lake, with her only chance of living being to swim to the top. Once she did however, the continued quaking of the zone thanks to the Death Egg's launch sent waves of water crashing in all directions. One such wave slammed right into Rouge.

She was knocked unconscious.

…

He was as rugged as they come. A human being without peers when it came to the way he did things. A man with a heart as stone, one the size of the country he loves. He was at the head of everything; an army so large it encompasses more than just one simple nation. A dragnet that surrounds nearly the entire planet, it would seem.

The man with heterochromia eyes. His name was Abraham Tower.

At the command he sat, his gloved hands cracking knuckles. Over the months since this island appeared, many had come to him for answers. They begged him, pleaded with him, some might say they even _prayed_ to him, to get this island off the planet. The many tidal waves it was capable of had already destroyed many cities around the planet, and he had no way to stop it. His greatest scientist couldn't change anything, no matter how hard they toiled. His greatest machines couldn't even get close, less they be destroyed.

For once, his military prowess wasn't enough to change a damn thing. After all, what could he do? Pelt the island with thousands of missiles until it blew into smithereens? A childish thought yes, but one he wasn't afraid to admit he actually thought about.

As the Commander of the Guardian Units of Nations – that being G.U.N. for the less knowledgeable – he had long since come to terms with the fact that he couldn't do a damn thing. So why was he still here? Commanding the Letter of Gabriel – his signature ship – at the very lead of his fleet? Guess he was just a sucker for punishment. By now, his many soldiers under his command had learned to no speak to him when he was in deep thought. But this was a different moment.

Someone came rushing through the sliding door.

"COMMANDER! COMMANDER!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the aged man to groan.

He took a sip out of his coffee mug, then turned to face the stunned sailor. His eyes were as wide as a bugs, and he was sweating profusely. For a private or captain or whatever the hell he was, this wasn't the proper decorum he should have been showing himself in this type of situation.

The solider must have realized this, as he quickly saluted his superior, which was means for Abraham to calm him.

"What is it, soldier?" he questioned, eyebrow raised.

"It's the island, sir!"

"What about the island?"

"It's... _rising_..."

When the young soldier said that, Commander Tower rose an eyebrow. Getting up to his feet, he walked passed the soldier and out of the door. As he did so, he passed many windows with his subordinates glaring out the window with eyes of awe. He could have stared out to see what they were seeing, but this was better. He merely walked along the hall, eventually coming to a staircase that lifted him up. Coming out to the deck of his ship, The G.U.N. Commander turned around to witness the sight which enamored his men.

And there it was; Angel Island. To his awe, he watched as the island as large as any country began to drift steadily into the sky. Water poured from the island's edge, falling off into the sea, as the island flew skyward. It was a sight his mind couldn't possibly conceive in a thousand years; a flying island.

For the first time in Abraham's adult life, he was left speechless.

"Y-your orders, sir?" a soldier asked of him, making the Commander stare back with hardened eyes.

He began twirling his fingers around in a circle, his body turning around. Heading back for the insides of his ship, he said,

"Tell the fleet to pull back a safe distance. Keep your eyes on the island as well."

"Y-yes sir!" his soldiers replied, giving him the honorable salute he deserves as their leader.

…

"JULES! JULES! JULES! COME DOWNSTAIRS! QUICK! QUICK!"

"Jeeze, Bernie... tryin' to yell my ears off?"

He walked down the stairs in his boots and tank-top, incredibly tired after all his work. After all, it's not easy running down into zones completely swallowed in sea water. They were planning on doing it again, ya'know? Heading down, this time, into the sunken half of Marble Zone. He was getting tired of it all, really.

But when he walked downstairs to see his wife's eyes glued to the TV, the blue hedgehog couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow. He ran a few fingers through his brown turf of hair, a slight sigh escaped him, then he walked to see what all the ruckus was about.

Where his eyes relayed the image of a magnificent island flying into the sky.

"He's done it, Jules," Bernie said as she hugged her husband, tears streaming down her face, "Shadow's done it!"

Such a surreal sight. The image of an island, flying back into the heavens, ever so slowly. As he watched the source of their pain drift away like some kind of movie, he couldn't help but to tear up just a little.

"Good job, Maurice..." he whispered with a smile, "Good job..."

Little did they know Shadow's fight was far, far, _far_ , from over.

…

The Black Wind glared over the edge of the platform, his red eyes wide. Watching as the lake he once stood in became smaller and smaller as time went on, an the near entirety of Angel Island came into view. He glared to the rockets attached to the Death Egg, realizing he needed to destroy them in order to spare the planet of the space stations horror. Preparing to leap off the platform, he watched as the skies he flew towards turned a deep dark color.

It became extremely humid in the hair, causing Shadow to get wet. Rain started falling, some of which pelted Shadow's face and fur. Shortly there after, lightning began to surge through the skies. A storm was brewing.

"The weather get's a bit turbulent on the inside of the clouds," a voice called from across the platform.

Shadow stood up tall then, his hands curling into fists. Already recognizing the voice, there was no surprise to him. He turned around slowly, his eyes falling upon the shaded image of a being. When lighting struck, the being was perfectly visible.

It was a large machine, clad heavily in powerful crimson armor. From the sides of the machine, two powerful arms stretched out. These heavy silver arms with their four fingers were easily larger than three Shadow's standing atop one another. On the top of this machine, a bed of spikes; so direct attacks were out of the question. With two rotors, the machine was capable of flight, and it did so directly out of Shadow's grasp.

However, all of that was simply nonsense to Shadow. As he approached the great machine, he held eyes on only one; the business suit clad man who controlled it. Dr. Robotnik snickered dementedly as he commanded the machine, his eyes red, and them glaring upon the hedgehog before him.

"Impressed?" the doctor said as he stroked his mustache and ego, "Say hello to the Egg Big Arm. Or, just Big Arm, for sure. The first line in defense for the Eggman Industries Death Egg space station. The greatest machine I've designed thus far!"

"Looks like nothing I haven't seen before," Shadow claimed, "More like a dumbed down version of that – what was it? Oh right – Egg Emperor from the last time. It's nowhere near as imposing as that was."

"Finally, we agree on something," Robotnik claimed, "Alas, the Big Arm isn't as grand as the perfection that is the Egg Emperor, but it is a second best. The Big Arm is far more than enough for you to handle, especially at this state. So why don't we just go ahead and ending things right now? It'll be far better for the entire world."

"That's another thing we agree on, Robotnik," Shadow stated, a smile appearing on his lips, "Ending things now will be better for the entire world. So why don't you just go ahead and die, hm? So we can all get back to our lives."

"How can you get back to your life when it ends here, Shadow?" Robotnik retorted with a laugh, before all grew silent, "Enough of this witty banter; I'm going to kill you now."

"Then why don't you just go ahead and do it?"

The Black Wind lifted his fists, having them curl in tightly. Robotnik and his Big Arm rose higher in the air, while lights from within the machine shined upon his face. Dr. Robotnik snickered, as Battle Mode was suddenly initiated in the machine.

"HIYAAAAH!"

The Big Arm's fist flew down upon Shadow's position, who dodged it just as fast. He leaped off of the fist and charged a yellow and green blast of pure energy. Whilst falling through the air, time seemed to slow down. Maybe an unnecessary use of Shadow's powers, but it gave him the time he needed to scan his foe for any weaknesses.

Weaknesses it didn't seam to have. From above, Shadow saw only spikes and tough armor; there was no patch of metal that wasn't heavily reinforced with powerful steel. Once time returned to normal, he landed on the ground and dashed back, still holding his Chaos forged weapon in hand. Dr. Robotnik approached him with his insidious glare, ready to send the hedgehog away with another mighty punch. As he did so, Shadow finally found the Big Arm's one weakness.

The cockpit itself.

"Chaos Lance!" he shouted as he flung his blast, turning it red as soon as it flew from his finger tips.

The strike slammed upon the Big Arm's glass shielding, triggering an explosion as he did so. With such a clean hit, Shadow was sure he did some damage. To his surprise however, Robotnik flew out of the plume of smog without so much as a scratch. Instead, a silver shield had fallen over his cockpit, one that slid away after the explosion had subsided.

"When you defeated the Beam Rocket, I thought you had come up with far more intelligent tactics to fight," Robotnik snickered, "But now I see you're nothing more than the same fool I've faced before. Why bother?"

The Big Arm put both of its hands together, clenching them to make one mighty fist. Slamming it down, he struck the ground, triggering a shock wave. It flew out toward Shadow, forcing him to jump in order to dodge it. As soon as he did so, one of the Big Arm's hands grabbed him hard. The fist clenched him tightly, causing Shadow to grunt in pain. Not pleased with simply squeezing him to death, Robotnik slammed the Black Wind down, flattening him against the ground.

The doctor rose his other fist and aimed it toward Shadow's head. Seeing this, the hedgehog turned a violent red color. Robotnik's fist fell, right when a red wave of destruction and power launched from Shadow's body. The blast sent the doctor back, releasing the Black Wind from his grasp. Once he done so, he struggled to his feet, all while the doctor taunted him with malicious laughs.

"How much more energy do you have left, Shadow?" Robotnik inquired as the hedgehog took a battle ready stance once more, "Surely not enough to keep this fight up."

"We'll see about that," Shadow replied with a smile, his finger pointing toward the doctor.

His digit suddenly emitted a yellow light, which blinked and glowed. Pinpointing his aim, Shadow suddenly sent a bolt of energy flying toward the doctor. It was a weak blast, but an important one. As soon as it struck Robotnik's cockpit, a blinding flash flared out. The doctor covered his eyes to hold out the flash, which continued to blind him for a few more seconds. Once it diminished, he gazed ahead to see nothing.

Shadow wasn't there.

"Oh... dammit!" the doctor growled, his hand slamming on his console, "Once I find you, Shadow, I will tear you apart!"

He turned around rather quickly; his cockpit met a powerful fist.

Shadow delivered a punch so strong, it sent Robotnik and the Big Arm flying back. The mad doctor growled, feeling insulted that his defenses were broken. As he drifted back, he carefully readjusted his tie whilst saying,

"You shouldn't have done that! Now you DIE!"

Pressing his buttons quickly, the engines of his Big Arm flared. Robotnik flew back at Shadow with fool speeds, who slammed his foot down to match it. Their hands collided, Robotnik pushing on Shadow and he pushing back. The two entered a deadly power struggle, where the loser would surely die.

Robotnik checked his systems, realizing the arms of the Big Arm weren't strong enough to keep up with Shadow himself. He was stunned by this, but not worried. Instead, he doubled down on the efforts of his machine, jacking up the percentage of strength within his arms from 50, to 70. As soon as he did so, Shadow nearly broke under the strength. The hedgehog fell to one knee, but refused to be bested by the machine's strength. He eventually fought back enough for him to stand up again.

More alarms began to blare in the Big Arm's cock pit, warning him that Shadow was putting out even more energy. This surprised Robotnik; Shadow had indeed grown stronger since their last fight. Fortunately, the doctor had given himself room for improvement as well. He began to shift the majority of his machine's systems into the arms, shifting them from 70% to 80%.

"Raaaahaaaaa!?" Shadow grunted from pain, now falling upon both of his knees.

Robotnik smiled down upon Shadow, feeling a great pleasure in his actions. Watching Shadow break down like a piece of paper under his might was one of the greatest feelings Robotnik could have at the moment.

But ever the trooper, Shadow got back to his feet. He continued fighting, even if such a tactic would lead to his eventual death. He continued pushing against the massive hands of Robotnik's Big Arm, trying to force him away. As he did so, the powers within his body which he attempted to contained turned his body red.

"There it is..." Robotnik whispered, watching as Shadow got back to his feet.

He didn't even wait; 100% to the power in his arms.

"RRRAAAAAHHHH!"

Shadow turned red, the power of his Chaos Energy increasing his strength. With the Big Arm now at maximum percent, Shadow needed to match it with his own. His Chaos Powers roared with power, and Shadow began pushing back. The rotors on the back of he Big Arm did likewise; giving Robotnik the extra push needed to fight back.

Had Shadow not wasted his strength earlier, had Launch Base Zone not sapped so much power fighting so many enemies on the way up here, maybe he would have defeated the Big Arm. Maybe his strength would've been enough to overpower it.

But as it stands, he wasn't up to par. The Big Arm was at 100% strength; Shadow was nowhere near that strong. How he even managed to keep going this long showed how much force he had in his soul, his spirit. However, right now, his spirit _wasn't_ enough.

"I'm sorry, Shadow, I really am," Robotnik claimed as he placed his hand on his chest, "But I cannot keep this going any longer. The Death Egg will break into the planet's stratosphere soon, and I can't be outside of the space station when that happens. So... why don't I end this?"

Robotnik pulled his fist back, retching it from Shadow's hand and surprising the hedgehog in the process. Keeping Shadow pinned with one hand however, his other hand shot forward with a mighty punch.

 _POW!_

Shadow went flying from the strike. Once he hit the ground, he bounced, then rolled to a stop right at the platform's edge. The Black Wind grunted from the pain of the strike, his hand on his chest. Staring up to the Big Arm, he watched as it approached him in a daunting manner.

"Let me show you something... _good_..." Robotnik claimed as the fingers of the Big Arm suddenly began surging with electricity, "You won't survive much longer against me."

Robotnik was right; he wouldn't survive much longer. Shadow's body and Chaos powers were failing him right now. He could keep thinking about 'what if' situations such as 'what if Rouge were here', or 'what if he was at 100%', but that would change nothing. Without his powers at maximum, or a Chaos Emerald in hand, Shadow had only one trump card to rely on next. His saving throw, in a situation like this.

Shadow placed his left hand on his right hand's wrist, removing the golden ring that sat around it. Then he moved his right hand to his left hand's wrist, removing that golden ring as well. Once he did so, the hedgehog's quills and fur began to flow, as if gravity didn't affect them. A golden aura appeared around Shadow's body, one that stuck close to his fur. The ground began to shake from his mighty strength, and the air through thick like metal.

With his powers unbound, Shadow felt a heightened sense of awareness. At this state, he was more than capable enough of facing off with Robotnik.

So long as he could do it in time.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Man... is sure does feel like it's been a while. Is that just me, or has it really been a while? Probably... probably..._

 _Anyway, Chapter 11: Propulsion Base Zone Act 2. As I said, since this is technically the end of Sonic 3, I felt like it had to be epic! Shadow and Rouge finally get's to the Launch Base Zone, then they have to fight their way through traps, Badniks, Midbosses, Knuckles, and finally, Robotnik himself! Man... Big Arm was always a pain in my childish butt. Having spikes on the top and what not; couldn't really beat him if I tried._

 _And oh did I try._

 _Anyway, Sonic 3 is just about to end, and the Sonic and Knuckles portion is about to begin. So... yeah..._

 _Guess we'll have to see next time how things go, ya'know?_

 _Next time, we'll be superior to the rest._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	12. Strangers on Angel Island

Strangers on Angel Island

Okay, how the hell did he get up here? Standing on the back of the massive Death Egg, roaring thousands upon thousands of miles in the air, just about to break through the seal of space. Ya'know, there was a point in time in which the black and red hedgehog thought he was _normal_. Yeah, before the super speeds, space-time warping powers, and this mysterious blonde human girl named Maria. There was a time in Shadow the hedgehog's life where he thought he was nothing more than that; Shadow the hedgehog. Son of Jules and Bernadette the hedgehog.

Oh how times have changed.

Shadow leaped back quickly, this golden hue flowing around his body. His quick thinking allowed him to dodge another attack launched at him by his hated nemesis. The doctor who commanded the Big Arm grinned wildly, as he delivered yet another punch at his body. The Black Wind dodged that punch too, putting more distance between himself and his enemy.

Placing his hands together, he started charging a yellow blast of chaotic proportions. With his Inhibitor Rings removed, his connection to the Chaos Force was stronger than ever. He could feel so much life and energy flowing through his veins; far more than usual, anyway. But this moment of heightened awareness was a precious one; he needed to ration his time wisely. Less he'd be left weaker than usual after.

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

The blast he sent roaring toward his enemy was far larger and far stronger than before. The beam took the form of a sharpened spear, which threatened to sever the doctor in half. Instead, Dr. Robotnik lifted his machine's arms, placing them in a specific manner with it's thumbs touching. One he did so, the shielding mask of his Big Arm fell over his cockpit.

Shadow's Chaos Spear slammed into the Big Arm's hands, where it held the blast back with all its might. The console of his machine began to rage with information, all telling him the blast was too strong to hold back. Dr. Robotnik never grimaced though, never faltered. In fact, quite the opposite happened. He smiled, stroked his mustache, began laughing even. Then he pulled upon a lever, and started switching switches. When a green button on his dashboard began to glow, he lifted his finger over it.

"Though I do enjoy our time together, Shadow," the mad doctor claimed, his face twisting into an image of pure sadism, "I'm sorry to say this relationship must come to an end! Say goodbye, Shadow the hedgehog!"

A shield of energy erupted from around Robotnik's body, rebuffing Shadow's blast. He stared at the sight with shock and awe, slowly walking backwards. The Big Arm began to force the Chaos Spear into a tight ball, proving it owned more power than Shadow's augmented strength. With the Chaos Spear in hand, Robotnik flung it towards Shadow; no holding back.

The Black Wind threw up his arms, attempting to deflect the blast sent his way. His hands slammed upon the blast, though that did very little. Despite his strength being higher than usual, his own blast was capable of pushing him back. It seemed as if Robotnik increased his own attack's strength, making it near impossible to defend himself against the attack. That's not to say Shadow didn't try, it was just incredibly hard.

His blast kept pushing him away, threatening to throw him off the side of the Death Egg. But with all the power running through Shadow's body, he refused to be bested.

"NO!" he shouted, "I won't let you beat me, Robotnik! AUUUURRRRGGGHHH!"

More of that golden energy roared from around his body, giving him the strength to press forward. He began pushing his blast back, charging some of his energy into it to aid him. As he did so, the blast increased in size and power. Robotnik watched this with awe, his fingers brushing his mustache.

"I see..." he whispered, "You are far stronger now than you used to be..." he shook his head, "It's truly a shame we had to be enemies, Shadow. Maybe, in another universe, we could've worked together. To take over the world. Oh bother!"

Robotnik pressed the green button on his dashboard once more, causing a mysterious energy to flow through his entire machine. In doing so, the Big Arm was capable of exerting more energy than it possibly should have. Though there was 100% energy flowing through his machine already, it began pushing out more. 110%, 120%, 130%, more and more!

Soon after, the energy within the Big Arm focused on its hands. Upon doing so, it formed a sphere of pure energy, much like the ones Shadow could create. Robotnik chuckled dementedly, as he lifted this blast high above his head. By the time Shadow realized what was happening, it was too late. Robotnik sent the blast flying his way, where it collided into his body. Couple that with the energy blast from before, and an explosion roared out.

The entire area shook, while smoke covered everything. It took minutes for the dust to settle, where it showed Shadow. He was completely immobile, his face in the ground, his body badly wounded. In spite of all this, he remained alive. The hedgehog struggled to get to his knees, but could do no more. Gazing down to the ground, he focused on catching his incredibly sparse breath.

"H-how?" he asked, trying to understand what just happened.

"I guess I haven't been completely forthright in our fight, Shadow," Robotnik claimed as he approached the defeated hedgehog, "While you have learned things since our last fight, I have as well. One of them; the manipulation of Chaos Energies. Studying our fights didn't really teach me how you do it, but I was able to create my own forms of it thanks to extended studies. After all, the Chaos Emeralds can power the Death Egg as you can see now, why can't they create weapons?"

"D-damn you!" Shadow growled as he got to his feet as best he could, finding it near impossible with his body in such a state, "I... I won't lose!"

"But alas Shadow! You already-" _WHAM!_ "HAVE!"

The sudden strike from the Big Arm's fist sent Shadow flying back. His body bounced off the ground, just about to slide over the edge of the platform. His arm slumped over the side, while his face sat in the ground. He weakly pushed himself up, his eyes glancing over the edge. Angel Island was no longer there, instead replaced by the endless dark blue skies they flew through. Before long, they'd be in space. But would he still be alive when that happened.

The power he had with his Inhibitor Rings removed had already left him, leaving him drained. He was far weaker now than he was with the rings on. Struggling to grab his Inhibitor Rings, he knew he had to put them back on. And yet, his heightened awareness allowed him to sense more. He could feel the heartbeat of life, echoing through the area. Despite the Death Egg's massive size, he could feel six beating lights of energy from within it. And he could also feel the same life of energy beating within the Big Arm.

"The Chaos... Emeralds?"

"Alas, Shadow, the Chaos Emeralds," Robotnik answered, watching as Shadow struggled to put his Inhibitor Rings back on, "The same Emeralds that you've used to beat me time and time again, are now the very instrument of your defeat. They're here, all around you. Powering the Death Egg, powering the _Big Arm_. You're greatest weapon is now your greatest defeat," he floated over to the hedgehog, then lifted his fist, "And I so wanted to learn of your Super Form. It's a pure shame I'm going to kill you before that get's to happen! Now DIE!"

His fist fell; time _stopped_.

 _He's our hero? The one we rely on to save the island?_

 _He is not the one our prophets foretold. He may be a hedgehog, but he is clearly not capable._

 _He has faced and defeated the doctor before. Used the powers of the Emeralds as well._

 _He may have done so, but that was then, this is now._

 _The fight here is the fight that really matters. This is the fight which may define what happens to his entire planet._

 _The doctor can, and will, take the world with the Emeralds. If the hedgehog doesn't defeat him, he will die. The world will be destroyed._

 _The one chosen – is the one who will protect island – the one who will protect the Master Emerald. He is – the hedgehog – that will – save the – planet. Tikal – said – so._

 _Tikal._

 _Tikal._

 _Tikal._

 _Tikal._

 _Tikal._

 _Tikal._

 _Ti-kal._

 _BAM!_

Shadow's hand slammed upon the Big Arm's fist. The Doctor pulled back, stunned by what he was seeing. The hedgehog was forcing the fist back with all his might, despite Robotnik's attempts to crush him. It wasn't an easy fight; Shadow was grunting incredibly so. He could hear those voices bouncing around; seven or eight of them. He had no clue what the hell they were talking about.

But he could feel something, something all around him. As his hand touched upon the Big Arm's hand, a power surged from the machine and into his body. The power of _Chaos_. There was a Chaos Emerald in that machine, one powering it from within. But there were six more, all of them inside the Death Egg itself. As that power resonated from within, he could feel memories replay in his head.

"The servers... are the seven Chaos," he growled, "Chaos is power... power is enriched by the heart..." he began growling, as his body surged with a power beyond Robotnik's, "I said... power is Chaos! The heart is power! The heart is power! Chaos Control!"

Time and space began twisting and turning. Robotnik watched as the darkened sky around him began to rage like a storm unlike any other. Robotnik's machine began to howl with alarms and signals, telling the doctor Shadow's Chaos readings were going off the charts.

But the doctor did not show anger. He showed not rage nor fear, nor sadness in any fashion. No, Dr. Robotnik showed intrigue. As he watched the black and red hedgehog beneath him turn a golden yellow, as seven powerful jewels floated around his body, Robotnik couldn't help but to be enthralled by it all.

"That's what it is," he whispered, "That's the transformation... _Super_..."

"EEERRRAAAAAHHH!" Shadow roared, his entire body transforming a golden color.

Any injury he sustained was instantly washed away, as if he were always this way. At the same time, Shadow's red eyes burned brighter than before. The hedgehog pulled his fist back, then threw it forward quickly. His fist slammed into the Big Arm's chest, sending the machine flying back. Robotnik – awoken from his mystified trance – quickly began pressing buttons on his machine's dashboard. The doctor grew serious, while the golden hedgehog he squared off against began to waver back and forth. Despite holding the powers of the Chaos Emeralds, he seemed somewhat intoxicated.

"RRRAAAAAAHHH!" the hedgehog growled, "DOCTOR!"

"Do you know what this place is?" Robotnik asked as he flew away from the battleground, being chased by Shadow who flew after him, "Angel Island is often lauded as the place where the Chaos Emeralds were created. My grandfather – a brilliant scientist – once came to the island in search of the ultimate power."

" _I_ am the ultimate power," Shadow stated as he threw out a punch.

Shadow's fist slammed into Robotnik's arm, sending the machine flying back. The punch caused enough damage dent the machine. The Big Arm began to flare with more alarms, telling the doctor how damaged the limb was. Shadow quickly approached the doctor, delivering another punch straight for the Big Arm's chest. However, the metal shielding slammed down, protecting the doctor. Shadow's fist still threw the doctor back, damaging it rather easily.

"RRAAAAH!"

Shadow's hand slammed upon the shield's defenses, where he began tearing it apart. The alarms in Robotnik's Big Arm began to flare wildly, all the while Shadow flung its shields away. The big Arm began flying away with increased speeds, making a beeline for safety. Shadow darted up in chase, attempting a strike at the Big Arm with every chance he could. The Eggman dodged as best he could, but found it impossible when Shadow suddenly grabbed one of his hands. Roaring with rage, he tore the limb straight out of the socket, causing explosions to riddle the skies.

"Ah! Dammit!" Robotnik raged as he flew back.

Shadow held the Big Arm's arm in his hand, a disturbing smirk appearing in his face. Looking back up to the doctor, he began wagging his finger.

"Look, Doctor," he called, "You dropped something..."

He tossed the arm down and away, only for a wicked noise to signal his sudden dash. He flew after Robotnik, the energy of flight propelling him at great speeds. Robotnik's engines suddenly exploded with as much energy as it could. Once again on the retreat, Robotnik attempted to avoid Shadow as best he could. However, the hedgehog grew lax on his chase. He wanted to kill the doctor, but he was more like a predator hunting its weakened prey.

He was going to have _fun_ first.

Robotnik glanced over to the Death Egg, watching as explosions riddled the base. The rockets which propelled it towards space suddenly broke apart, detaching from the powerful space station. However, all of it was simply _premature_. The rockets were breaking apart too soon; they weren't outside of the planet's atmosphere yet.

"The Chaos Emeralds... they need the Chaos Emeralds!" Robotnik claimed.

"Such a shame I have them," Shadow stated as he appeared out of nowhere, his hand on the Big Arm's only remaining arm, "Take this!"

With one measly snap of his arms, he tore the only remaining arm the Big Arm had. Robotnik – now without a means to protect itself – flew backwards in one final attempt to defend himself. Shadow chuckled dementedly, tossing the arm in hand up and down easily. Then, with one massive swing, sent the big arm flying elsewhere.

"It's game over, Robotnik," Shadow claimed as he approached the distraught doctor, "I've destroyed every machine I've come across so far, and now even your mighty Big Arm... heh, heh, heh..." his face grew hard, while he rose his hand, "I'm going to kill you now. But you should be thankful," a sadistic smile appeared on his lips, "After all, I'll kill you quickly!"

A sudden orb of light appeared in Shadow's hand. Shadow readied a blast strong enough to vaporize the doctor right on the spot, and transformed in his Super State, there was no way he could be bested. Dr. Robotnik watched as Shadow approached slowly, a growing chuckle coming to his lips.

"Maria!" Robotnik roared out as well, "Any time would be good right about now!"

"Who are you talking too?" Shadow inquired.

A hand suddenly fell upon his shoulder, shocking Shadow. He turned around, his eyes fall upon a machine that bore an uncanny resemblance to him. No, it was taller than he was, with a streamlined body. A machine with a single glowing red eye. It bore a black body, with red stripes, but with silver on certain areas of its body, specifically its hands and legs.

Shadow was stunned silent by the appearance of this being, but even more so by its sudden and steady transformation.

The machine began turning _gold_.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

The machine pulled back its fist, while Shadow remained stunned.

 _WHAM!_

Super Shadow flew back, feeling pain. Super Shadow felt _pain_. Super. Shadow. Felt. _Pain_. The impossible – or at least what _he_ believed to be impossible – happened. Even in his supposed invincible state, Shadow could be injured just like usual.

The blow sent him flying back, where he bounced across the Death Egg's metallic plating. The Chaos Emeralds which floated around his body were sent flying away, while his body turned black and red once more. The Black Wind glanced down to his hand in shock, realizing he had be de-powered once more. The second time in this one journey.

"What the!?"

He gazed up, his eyes falling upon that machination from before. His mechanical doppelganger approached slowly, allowing Shadow to get a better look at it. As he stared at it, he found himself remembering a certain machine from before. The Silver Metal Shadow he faced on the Death Egg the last time.

"So... is this your new plan?" Shadow asked as he stood up weakly, facing the faux hedgehog, "Create fake versions of me every time I climb on this Death Egg? Fine..." he lifted his fists, "I'll kill this one, then destroy the entire damned station! Let's see you create more when you lack a life to live!"

Shadow's air shoes ignited, throwing him at his mechanical copycat. He threw a punch, but the fake Shadow dodged it just as fast. Fist suddenly clenching, Mecha Shadow through a punch right into the hedgehog's belly. The blow winded the Black Wind, who clenched his gut in pain. Staring up to his clone, Shadow grunted then leaped back. As he did so, he fired a blast to the ground in order to distance himself.

Once Shadow lifted his fists, ready to start the fight once more, the entire Death Egg began shaking. Instead of flying skywards – without the aid of its rockets – the station began to fall back towards Angel Island. However, it had good few thousand miles to go before such a thing could happen. Glancing down, Shadow realized something; if he remained on the Death Egg when it crashed, he was going to die.

There's no arguing against that.

It didn't matter, because the fake Shadow began approaching him. Lifted its hand, it exerted an energy Shadow couldn't really tell. Was it Chaos Energy like his own, or something else?

"Chaos," Mecha Shadow said with a voice that was oddly feminine, "SPEAR!"

Swinging the blast, the faux hedgehog sent it flying Shadow's way. He lifted his arms to defend himself against the blast, but he couldn't defend himself from its detonation. The spears electric explosion sent Shadow flying over the edge of the Death Egg, with no footing to keep himself steady. Instead, he slid off of its curved body, rolling down the side with no way to stop. Before he knew, he was falling.

Explosions riddled the body of the Death Egg, while it fell too. The hedgehog watched it do so, his eyes searching for Robotnik, his clone, or even that woman named 'Maria'. But alas, there was nothing he could do. Transforming into Super Shadow sapped the rest of Shadow's strength, leaving him incredibly weak. In this position, all he could do was fall.

Fall for Angel Island, where his _death_ awaited. Once he met the earth, there was nothing he could do.

"Ah... D-dammit," the hedgehog growled, gasping for breath, "Damn... it..."

Eyes on the Death Egg, Shadow's vision began to grow dimmer and dimmer. He tried to will himself awake, but after all he went through, he found it near impossible. After constantly failing in his attempt to stay away, Shadow ultimately relented to his fate.

He was falling to the earth, and so too the Death Egg. With no Chaos Emeralds to fall back on, Shadow had no way to save himself. But, hey, at least he caused the Death Egg to fall. At its current state, it would crash, and be destroyed.

Then again, it survived the first time, did it not?

 _What is Chaos, Maria?_

 _Simple, Shadow! Chaos is power! Power that's enriched by the heart!... That's... that's what Grandpa tells me, anyway. He say's that's why I've been alive so much. I guess the power of my heart is strong, huh!? Hah, ha! I guess if you have a big enough heart then... you'll have the power to do anything._

 _I suppose it all matters if you're willing to take the first step. To live a life of power..._

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _So, you guys, here it is. The end of Sonic 3 for this little story. And just like at the end of Sonic 3, the Death Egg falls to the earth, surrounded by explosions, never to be seen again._

 _Or so you believe._

 _Of course, we all know what really happens! But for those unenlightened, we'll leave it like this for now. Shadow falls back to the Earth, battered by the battle, on a collision course for death. Has he truly succeeded or not?_

 _Well, I don't know. I can say this; Sonic and Knuckles is up next. Or, should I say, Shadow and Knuckles?_

 _By the by, did ya get the reference in the title?_

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	13. Emerald Challenge 1

Emerald Challenge #1

His eyes opened. He could see the shadowed image of a being descending upon him. His eyes closed. His eyes opened. These sharp and jagged wings, with a nice curvature. Spread out wide for all to see. His eyes closed. His eyes opened. A fire burning in the sky, falling in the distance. His eyes closed. His eyes opened. The night sky appeared right overhead.

Shadow the hedgehog – the Black Wind – pulled himself up. A mighty powerful headache thumped through his brain, as he stared around. Before him laid a burning flame, cackling thanks to the bundle of sticks beneath it. Around him, oddly enough, large mushrooms. Yeah, mushrooms of multiple colors – usually ranging from red to orange – that were far taller than him in size. Beyond those, grandiose trees, that put to shame some skyscrapers even.

What happened exactly? Placing his hand on the side of his head, he needed to catch his bearings. He was fighting Dr. Robotnik on the Death Egg, and their battle gravitated to the top of the space colony. And, somehow, Shadow went Super. But it was short-lived, as a mechanical version of himself appeared.

And it injured him. He was super, and it _injured_ him.

But that was the least of his worries. Where was he, and how did he get here? Had he survived falling to the Earth _again_? For some reason, he didn't think so. For some reason, he figured he had help from someone. Call it an itch on his shoulder. Or perhaps, it was thanks to the sultry perfume flowing through the air.

"Augh... even with this fire... I can still smell you, Rouge..." Shadow commented offhandedly, his red eyes moving up.

Not to his surprise, he found a pair of teal eyes gazing back down upon him. They were upside down, the body of which whom it belonged to hanging upon the mushroom's canopy. Those teal eyes slid into a glare, before finally detaching from the tree above. Before Shadow, his friend landed. Her clothing was torn in various areas; the overalls somewhat slashed, the pink shirt under it wrinkled and ruined. And when she turned around...

"Oh dear lord," it made Shadow chuckle.

Rouge was there, alright. But almost all of her looked different. Probably thanks to the fact that she was missing her eye-liner, her lipstick, and even her eye-shadow. In fact, all of her mascara of every kind was gone. Seeing his friend in such a different light made the hedgehog's chuckles break into a laughter, which was quickly stymied by her foot slamming into the ground.

"Shut up!" Rouge shouted at Shadow, causing his laughter to grow quieter, "This isn't funny! You know, I saved your ungrateful ass from falling from the sky! The least you can do is thank me! Besides, you don't look to good yourself!"

Shadow didn't necessarily stop chuckling, but his red eyes did scan along his arms and body. Lips bending into that frown he was known for, he checked his body thoroughly. Various areas was patched in coils, ones that didn't look like they were coming off any time soon. Boy did the pain in his arms hurt.

"Hmmm..." he mumbled, "Well that could've gone better..." his eyes moved back up to Rouge, "Mind telling me what happened?"

"After the way you treated me, maybe I don't wanna," she replied, while he attempted to stand.

As soon as he did so, pain shot through his body. Rouge reacted quickly, grabbing his arms and settling him back into place at the mushroom's base.

"Not so fast, handsome," she stated, "You were pretty banged up when I found you. Take it easy."

"When you found me?" Shadow replied, "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," she answered, "I wish I knew what happened. I remember you ran off to fight Robotnik on the Death Egg, and I stayed back to fight that Knuckles guy..." she shook her head, "I passed out when the Death Egg launched, and a wave hit me while I was fighting Knuckles. I came too on one of the lake's beaches in this zone. Not too long after, I found you."

"You... found me?"

"Yeah, you were just... laying here... all these animals were around you... and you looked like you-"

"Fell from the sky?"

"Yeah..."

"What about the Death Egg? Did you see it?"

"Oh, I saw it alright," Rouge answered, as she looked up to the trees above, "If you get to the top of these trees, you can see for miles around. Don'tcha remember that tall mountain we saw when we came here? It's visible from just about any zone on the island?"

"Don't tell me..."

"Yup, the Death Egg must have landed right there when you dropped it. It's just sitting right at the top of Angel Island, overlooking every zone like some sinister eyeball..." she shivered, "I can't stand it... but there's good news?"

"Good... news? Like what?"

"I noticed something else when I was standing at the top," she wagged her finger, "I _didn't_ see the ocean. All around the island is nothing but blue and skies for miles around. We did it, Shadow. Angel Island isn't on the planet anymore; it's flying!"

"So... we got it back into the sky?"

"Mission accomplished!" Rouge answered with her hands clapping together, "We can finally go home!"

"Not so fast..." Shadow retorted, "The Death Egg is still here. Robotnik is still alive..." he shook his head, "The mission's not over yet..." using the mushroom's stalk, he pushed himself up onto his feet, "Not over yet..."

"Don't tell me..."

"Too bad, Rouge," he said with a smirk, "But you know I'm not the kind of guy to leave something unfinished."

He fell forward, only to fall into Rouge's arms, keeping him standing.

"Slow down, Shadow," she said with a sterner voice, "If what I think is right, you fell here. How you're even alive is unknown to me..." she shook her head, "I don't care what you think you know, but you're laying here right now. You're body's way too weak for you to do anything, ie, standing..."

"News to me... uuuhhh..."

Rouge sat him back down, then crossed her arms. As he looked back up, he knew he was trapped. Even if he did gain the energy to stand, she'd simply knock him back into place. Perhaps she was right; his body was incredibly weak. After a few moments, Rouge sat back down beside him. Her hand pressed upon his shoulder, making him wince. An audible 'sorry' escaped Rouge's lips, while her touch became softer.

Then a smile came to her lips. A smile different from her usual ones. It wasn't snarky, or sultry, or anything of that kind. It was a genuine smile based off positive emotions, something Rouge gave off rarely.

"Angel Island's back in the sky," she stated, "All those tidal waves must be gone. You've already saved so many lives. You're such a hero, Shadow."

"But I'm not done yet," he claimed, face growing hard as he looked away, "Not until I've destroyed the Death Egg."

The Death Egg. His mind returned to that monstrous space station of malicious intent. So long as it was around, he didn't want to leave the island. He was going to tear it into shreds piece by piece, if necessary. But how would the Death Egg rise, if the rockets it used were destroyed by his hands? If it was simply trapped at the top of the island, would it be best if they just left it be?

For some reason, Shadow knew that wasn't good enough. He knew if he left the Death Egg alone, it would rise again. Whatever power it had would be free to reign over the entire planet. Knowing of the hellish nightmares Robotnik was capable with Scrap Brain Zone and Metropolis Zone alone, what could he do with an entire flying station? Not thoughts he wanted in his head right now.

"Shadow, you should get some rest," Rouge said to him, making the hedgehog glance back, "We'll keep going in the morning. Figure out where we are in the entire zone..."

He nodded, taking her offering. Arms crossed, he gave a groan as his eyes closed. Maybe he was weak, because it didn't take him too long to drift into sleep. In the darkness of his mind, he drifted around endlessly. Until noticing this glow in the distance. At first confused, the hedgehog found himself walking for it. His speed picked up as time went on, until he was running for the glow.

It was green. It beckoned to him.

 _Come to me_ , he heard a woman's voice ring, _Come to me_.

"Who are you?" Shadow shouted at the dream.

 _Come to me... come to me..._ she repeated over and over again, with a voice most alluring, most powerful.

"Who are you...?"

 _Find me. Find me._

Sunlight appeared, burning down upon his boy. Shadow's eyes opened, as he heard that voice ring in his ears. 'Find me', what did that mean? Upon realizing it was morning, Shadow gazed around. A certain bat clung tight to his body, she resting upon his shoulder.

"R-Rouge," Shadow called, "Rouge... get up..."

"Huh, wha?" the bat said as she pulled back, "Eeeyaaaaaaaahhh-ah! What's wrong, Shadow?"

"I... gotta move," he answered as he pulled up himself from her grasp, forcing himself upon his wailing feet.

"Shadow!? What did I tell you!? Take it easy!"

"No!" he replied as he stood on his wobbling feet, making it to another mushroom and slumping against it, "Rouge... we've gotta move, now!"

"What's wrong?"

"Something is..." he looked to the distance, as he pushed against the mushroom's stalk, "Calling for me..."

Ignoring Rouge's please, as well as the pleas from his own body, Shadow began walking forward. Well, more like limping, but it was moving him. Rouge trailed up behind him, restraining from actually pulling him back however, less she hurt him further. Besides, Shadow had that determined look in his eye; he wouldn't stop moving even if she forced him to.

The hedgehog bounced from mushroom stalk to mushroom stalk, before coming to a small cliff in this forest. Beneath, he noticed ancient ruins that had mixed with the forest around them. Brick cubes carved wonderfully; why were they here? Shadow realized this was no mere forest, before suddenly being tackled to the ground.

"Rouge, what the-!?"

"Shut up!" she snapped back, "Just shut up!"

Being a thief who was accustomed to sneaking around, she was perfectly tuned to hearing things he sure didn't. Her teal eyes peered over the edge of the cliff, and so too did Shadow's. They both stared below, when the sound of a massive door opening echoed out. Shadow's eyes widened, as he realized he was on top of a building. He grew even more surprised when he saw who it was that came out of the building.

Knuckles appeared, stunning both he and Rouge. The echidna – much like them – appeared more worse than ware. His Mayan armor was chipped and ruined, so too the silver gauntlets on his spiked gloves. The echidna appeared not too happy either, as he held a scowl even Shadow would blush at.

"I can't believe those two," he said, lifting a strange device up to his head, "Are you sure they're alive?"

"They are alive, Knuckles," _Maria's_ voice rang out, "We can't be sure if they're dead until their bodies are found. Until then, proceed with the idea that they're alive. We don't want them making any more trouble for us."

"Right... right Maria," the echidna replied, "I'll keep searching Mushroom Hill Zone for them... then we'll worry about lifting the Chaos' Egg out of here."

"Indeed, Knuckles. Please, be safe."

The echidna lowered the device, but lingered around the area. Very slowly, he looked up to the cliff Shadow and Rouge hid upon. His purple eyes scanned the area closely, while both mobians did their best to keep silent. But the echidna did not leave, instead, he took a few steps towards it. His eyebrow rose with inquiry; he was just about to climb up.

 _CROOOOOOAAAAAAAKKKKK!_

Knuckles stepped back, as he noticed quite a large toad sitting on the cliff. It croaked again, its throat bulging, then leaped down to where the echidna was. Croaking again, it leaped off into the distance, making Knuckles shake his head.

"Uh... I'm loosing it..."

No longer finding a point to remain in the area, Knuckles ran off, eventually vanishing into the distance. The area remained silent for the next few minutes, before a certain bat leaped from the cliff's edge.

"AAAAAHHHHH!?" she cried "THAT FROG WAS RIGHT ON MY HEAD!"

"Please, Rouge, calm down..." Shadow quipped, while the bat shook her head.

"Easy for you to say, stick in the mud! But toads leave warts, don't you know that!?"

Shaking his head, Shadow simply allowed Rouge to flail about in disgust, while he ambled down the cliff's edge to the small grove below. Looking over to the massive doors Knuckles came through, he realized they had already been closed shut. He walked to the doors, placing his hand upon it. So old, so deteriorated, and yet so incredibly _strong_. Though Shadow couldn't tell how big the ruins were, he knew they were made of tougher material than one may realize. History said echidnas vanished over five thousand years ago, meaning they were at least five millenniums old.

"Amazing..." he commented to himself, before pushing his arms upon the doors.

Shadow attempted to push them over, but the force was too much on his arms. He quickly overexerted himself, falling over with his face to the ground. Growling, he stood back up and tried again, but getting nowhere just as fast.

"Need any help there, honey?" Rouge asked as she placed her arms on the doors. Shadow merely nodded.

The two pushed and pushed, finding it more difficult to open than one may think. Knuckles did it with such ease however. How powerful was that echidna?

Shadow and Rouge pushed and pushed, with their efforts eventually being repaid. The doors opened slightly, allowing enough space for the two to enter; one at a time. Rouge entered first, and Shadow did after. But not before scanning the area.

"Brrrrrr! It's cold in here!" Rouge commented as Shadow slid in, his red eyes gliding around the grass and stone covered hall.

Noticing a faint glow in the distance, Shadow began walking for it. He felt stronger the closer he got to it, though this did little to relieve his mind.

 _Find me. Find me._

"Who are you?" Shadow asked.

"Who are you talking too?" Rouge asked back.

"I don't know," the hedgehog answered, leaving the bat perplexed.

They entered a small chamber, with various echidna statues around. Shadow cared not about the idols around him however, and instead on the single golden ring sitting on a pedestal in the center. Shadow raised an eyebrow at the sight of this ring, wondering what it was. Picking it up, he scanned it closely. Something about the ring reminded him of something.

"Say Rouge," Shadow called, "Do you have that... ring we found before we came here?"

"You mean the ring _I_ found before we came here," Rouge corrected, "And yes. Yes, I do have it," her hand reached into one of her overall's many pockets, "I hung on to this thing. Hoppin' it would point me in the direction of treasure..." she pulled it out, "Why do you ask?"

"Call it a hunch," he said as she handed him the ring.

Both rings were incredibly alike. Old, lacking a perfect curvature, and with ancient writing on the insides. Picking up the ring on the pedestal, Shadow compared it to the ring in his hand. As he looked at the two, the briefly drifted towards one another. As soon as they did so, a bolt of energy bounced between them suddenly.

Shadow pulled his hands back, his eyes wide. Both he and Rouge were silenced by the action. Gazing to the rings in his hands, he pushed them near one another once again. And like the first time, a bolt of energy sparked between them.

"This is no ordinary ring," Rouge claimed, "What... what is this thing?"

"Hm... only one way to find out..." Shadow answered as he suddenly forced the two rings together.

The two bands suddenly pushed against one another with so much force, the hedgehog could no longer hold on to them. They flew around the room briefly, causing Rouge to push herself into Shadow for safety. The two rings suddenly stopped, hovering right next to the two mobians. And to their amazement, they expanded in size.

"Shadow!? What did you do!?" the bat asked.

Before Shadow could answer, the rings flashed a bright light, blinding the two. And when their eyes opened, they were no longer in the chamber. The air was no longer a lovely forest smell, but a colder mysterious one. Darkness surrounding them, an awe-inspiring power resonated around them. Shadow felt it; it made his heart shake and quake. A power unlike anything he head ever felt, and yet it was so _subdued_.

What was this linear power, that reminded him of his Super Transformation?

There were several pedestals around, all of which far larger than he was. They had a weird design, ones that had a specific indentation. They bent in, looking as if they were supposed to hold something important.

"Oh... my... CHAOS!" Rouge suddenly shouted, making Shadow turn to face her.

He spun around, facing his friend who hovered above. She was near another pedestal, and eighth one it would seem. However, unlike the others, this one flew in the air. Levitated perpetually, it held something in the very center. A large green jewel, unlike anything Shadow had seen before. No, wait, he had seen it before; the Hidden Palace Zone that laid in West Side Island. This green jewel was just like that one.

"I thought it was a myth!" Rouge claimed, her teal eyes glowing, "I honestly thought something like this never existed! But it does; I'm looking right at it! Shadow!" she turned around and faced him, "Its... the _Master Emerald!_ "

Shadow walked near her, when he suddenly felt an energy resonating from his chest. Clutching close to his chest, he realized the Chaos Emeralds he gained from his fight were shining. Several burning orbs of light appeared from his body; they were green, red, blue, turquoise yellow, white, and purple. These orbs moved away from the hedgehog, all whilst spinning around him at high-speeds. Before Shadow could do anything about them however, they flew away from him.

And then, one by one, powerful beams of lights slammed down upon the pedestals.

 _BRRRRRRM!_

 _BRRRRRRM!_

 _BRRRRRRM!_

 _BRRRRRRM!_

 _BRRRRRRM!_

 _BRRRRRRM!_

 _BRRRRRRM!_

On each pedestal, now sat a large jewel in comparison in size to the Master Emerald above. However, each jewel lacked color of any kind. While the Master Emerald was a beautiful green, all of these extra jewels were a dull grey. Shadow stared at them with an eye of confusion, while Rouge shook her head in disgust.

"I only like my jewels when they shine," she claimed, "If they're grey like rocks, they might as well _be_ rocks!"

"Rouge..." Shadow whispered, before facing one of these stones, "They... what is this place?"

"As if I would know," the bat answered, before taking a perplex pose, "Buuuuuuttt... if I were to say, I think it's the Emerald Altar..." she looked around briefly, before her teal eyes returned to the hedgehog, "Doesn't it look oddly familiar though? Look like the-"

"Hidden Palace Zone," he finished, thinking about the zone from West Side Island, "I mean... the stones are slightly different... probably deeper than we think but... they're just so much alike. As if they were-"

"Made by the same people! Remember, Shadow, they said the Hidden Palace Zone was put there by... heavenly people and... Angel Island _is_ flying in the sky..."

"I think we've just learned where the Chaos Emeralds came from," Shadow claimed, nodding his head, "Which means... this Emerald Altar has a very important connection to the place. Which explains what they've done..."

He walked to one such Emerald, his eyes staring deep into the jewel's surface. He could see himself in the stone, and watched as Rouge's reflection joined up beside him. With clear apprehension, he reached for the stone before them. Rouge, following his example, did likewise. The two pressed upon it at the same time. A blinding light appeared around them quickly.

And Shadow's eyes reopened. They were no longer at the Emerald Altar. Instead, everything was _polygonal_ , if such a thing made any sense.

"Where in Chaos are we?" Rouge asked, making Shadow look up.

The skies – if you can call them that – were blue with clouds flowing by. And, also, large green _birds._ But they really weren't birds, as they didn't move, and remained quite static as they drifted pass the sky. After enough time had passed, the birds changed into large flat squares, only to morph into fish. Much like the birds before, they were large, light-blue, and drifted through the skies in an line. Oh yes, the 'sky'. It had changed into a large blue void, with bubbles running through it.

"What insanity have we gotten ourselves in?" Rouge asked.

 _Welcome to the Special Zone,_ a voice answered, making both mobians look up to the skies, _I have brought you two here to test your resolve_.

"Test our resolve?" Shadow asked as they searched for the voice, "Who are you?"

The world – this _Special Zone_ – began shaking all around them. A glowing green light appeared right before them, emanating a bright light that threatened to blind them. However, it dimmed relatively quickly, and began taking form. What form it took, was that of an echidna woman. She held closely upon a staff in hand, dressed in clothing draped over her body. She was much like Knuckles; dressed in clothing far too old to still be considered. She had the same spiked gloves, the same dreads for her hair-style, and a similar enough color; that being red. And boy did she look like she could kick their asses something fierce.

"Who are you?" Shadow asked of the green-eyed woman, who gave a warm smile back.

"Indeed, we have not met. And yet, I know more about you than you may believe, _Shadow_ ," she turned and faced the bat, "You too, Rouge," her stance grew strong, as she straightened up, "My name is Ariche. Aren't the Chaos Emeralds the most peculiar instruments. No one knows where they came from, or how they got here. And yet, they hold power beyond all imagination. Can you believe that?"

"What? Did you bring us here for a history lesson?" Shadow asked, "I want to know what's going on. Who are you, and what's happening? And... how do you know my name?"

"Ah... yes... you have used the power of the Chaos Emeralds multiple times, and yet now would be the first time we've met. Though, I'm sure you've seen our fleeting image, heard our voices."

When she said that, Shadow's eyes slid into a glare. This was growing incredibly eerie, and it made him pull back.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Ariche the echidna. Me and the other guardians of the Emeralds have been searching over them for millenniums now. I, was chosen to foresee over the green Chaos Emerald..." she smirked, "Your _favorite_ , Shadow. I can see the power you hold whenever you fight. You were very proficient in the ways of Chaos. I am impressed."

"What is going on?"

"This battle here – on Angel Island – was foretold before Angel Island even existed. A hero would use the power of all seven Chaos Emeralds to stop a titan from steeling the Master Emerald. We knew, one day, this prophecy would be fulfilled. But... there was a problem... the prophets were _wrong_. While the hero we waited for _is_ a hedgehog, he isn't the right one."

"What are you getting at?"

"The hero was supposed to be a _blue_ hedgehog. Our prophets spoke in such reverent tones of one."

"So what? I'm not the correct hero because I'm not 'blue'?" Shadow snarled.

"I believe other wise," Ariche countered, "While the prophecy may be incorrect about who the person is that saves us, I don't see it as wrong any other way. I have seen you defeat Robotnik time and time before, not to mention your many other exploits, Shadow the hedgehog. You are more than capable of defeating the doctor. However, the power you need to do so will be beyond what you are used too. Which is why you are here."

"Why don't I like where this is going?" Rouge inquired.

"Shadow the hedgehog. Rouge the bat. We – the Guardians of the Chaos Emeralds – will challenge you to make sure you are worthy of using our power," she then smiled, as she began vanishing, "I know you will not disappoint."

Before any more questions could be asked, Ariche vanished into thin air. The entire world began shaking them, making Shadow fear it would break beneath his feet. In the distance, he saw the green Chaos Emerald began to rise. Before he could leap for it however, walls shot up through the earth. The stretched high and endlessly, being impossible to fly or climb over.

"Great," Rouge scoffed as she placed her fists on her hips, "Can't we have anything come to us easily?"

"'Spose not," Shadow replied as he walked ahead, his head shaking as he entered the labyrinth, "Sure is givin' me a headache, though..."

Rouge threw her hands up in defeat, groaning all the while. Regretting her decision to touch the dull diamond, she followed Shadow as he entered the labyrinth which laid before them.

The diamond shaped walls were highly reflecting, making Shadow loose his place often. When he ran into a wall, he groaned and turned, only to head down yet another hall which led to his confusion. He would walk with Rouge at his side, and run into yet another dead-end.

Shadow growled at the sight, calming down when Rouge's hand fell upon his shoulder. Looking back at her, she simply gestured towards another path, and he followed. They came to a stop at a crossroads, however. Placing his hands on his hips, Shadow combed the halls with his eyes in search of a viable path. But Rouge had another idea.

"AAAHHHHUUUUHHH!"

"What the!?"

Rouge wailed into the distance, then grew oddly silent. Her ears bent, her eyes aimed to the sky. Smiling suddenly, she headed down the hall to the right of them, leaving Shadow completely perplexed. Shrugging with his arms, he ended up following her behind. Rouge would run and run, and when she came to yet another crossroads, she'd wail again. And after a minute or two, she'd seemingly randomly choose a side, and run down it.

"What are you doing?" Shadow asked as he ran behind his partner.

"Echolocation, you idiot," she replied, making him glare at him, "I yell, and when my sound returns to me, I know how deep it goes."

"Does echolocation really work that way?"

"It's getting us moving, so I recommend you shut your trap and keep following."

Well, she had him there; his wondering antics was only going to waste more and more time. As they traversed the area with Rouge's use of echolocation, Shadow himself stared around. This Special Zone felt both new and familiar to him at the same time. It was strange how it looked and how it felt, as well as the immense Chaos feeling he gained form it all.

"Alright; one more around this- ah-ha!"

Rouge came to a stop at the corner, with Shadow following moments after. They came to a chamber that was surprisingly large, with no more halls leading from it. In the center of this room, the green Chaos Emerald.

"See! And you didn't believe in my echolocation! Now let's just- EH!?"

In front of the Chaos Emerald, diamond walls suddenly ripped up, much like the last time. A huge diamond-shaped infrastructure wrapped around the Chaos Emerald, and floated into the air, leaving Shadow and Rouge stunned.

"Oh come on! We went through all of that!" Rouge growled.

"Okay, game over," Shadow stated as he walked before her, "No more of these puzzles! No more of these games!" he began turning red, "I'm getting... really... freaking... ANGRY!"

A wave of Chaos Energy blew from Shadow's body, pushing Rouge back. His hands in fists, a shock wave of power roared from his body. It slammed into the crystal barrier, causing it to shake and waver. Such an expense of power, caused the barrier to shake and shake. It eventually began breaking, as visible cracks started spreading throughout. And with one mighty thrust...

"HA!"

The barrier shattered into thousands of tiny little pieces. They sprinkled the ground, being oddly gentle on the skin instead of shearing into it like knives. Once the diamond barricade was gone, all that remained was the green Chaos Emerald. Shadow leaped for the jewel and grabbed it, clutching it tightly. Pulling back, he eyed the Chaos Emerald and smiled.

"Its always like you men to just blow things up," Rouge said as she clapped her hands together sarcastically, "What? Gonna vote Republican now."

"You're jokes are lost on me," Shadow stated as he turned and faced him, "Vote Republican? What does that necessarily mean?"

"Oh right... you guys have that Acorn Kingdom Monarchy on the islands... forgot... anyway, how are we gonna get out of here?"

"Easy," Shadow said as he raised the Chaos Emerald in hand up high, with Rouge standing beside him, "CHAOS! CONTROL!"

…

Knuckles stopped. Every fiber of fur on his body stood on end, and his dreads were ruffled. Turning around in this massive forest, he stared to the land below. A green wave of energy spread throughout the entire zone, making him gasp.

 _BZZZRRRRT!_

"Knuckles? Knuckles? Are you there? Knuckles? Ivo and I have found a sudden Chaos Energy spike in the zone your located in. Is that your doing?"

He didn't answer the blonde, instead being too stunned by the sight to reply. He did say something, however.

"The Black Wind... you've activated one of them..."

"Knuckles?" her voice rang again.

"Maria, I have to return to the Hidden Palace Zone," he answered as he swiped the device from his waist to his hand, "I'm afraid the Black Wind and his friend aren't as dead as we believed they were."

…

A shimmering ring of light appeared in the darkness. Spiraling, it began swirling toward a certain grey jewel. The ring connected with the diamond, and a shine echoed out. The jewel turned a brilliant green color.

 _Shadow and Rouge got a Super Emerald._

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Man... it's been a while. How long? Like, two months now? I could be honest; there are other fanfic writers who've had way bigger periods between their updates. Often pisses me off, ya'know..._

 _But what can I say? I'm back. Hopefully so; I don't think I've really gotten a feel for things as of yet. So I might bounce around between update fanfics before I can get into a good groove of what to write, and what not to write. I can say I enjoyed writing this chapter though, so expect an update in the future._

 _So, this is a different chapter from the rest. Not named after a zone, isn't a phrase of any sort. Feels random, don't it? But it ain't! Since we're starting on Sonic and Knuckles, I might as well start with an Emerald Challenge, much like how Mushroom Hill Zone starts in Sonic 3 and Knuckles, right?_

 _Anyway, when we continue, Shadow and Rouge begin adventuring through Mushroom Hill Zone. Oh boy, I can't wait to describe that zone of beauty._

 _And can we all bow our heads for Alan Rickman? Even if you don't know who he is, I think its only right to be respectful._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	14. Mushroom Valley Zone

Mushroom Valley Zone

The rings stopped their spinning, coming to a sudden halt. When the flash ended, darkness came, only for light to return shortly after. The smell of grass and pine came to their noses, as well as dilapidated stones and ruins. Red eyes opened to stare ahead into a hall that led to the sun-kissed forest outside.

"We're back," Shadow stated as he looked at Rouge, who appeared wobbly after their transportation.

"Yeah, but back from what?" Rouge asked as her head shook, "Oh poo! They sent us away from that Master Emerald!"

"What is the Master Emerald?" Shadow asked as they began walking out of the temple.

"Oh, the diamond's eye of every treasure hunters dream! Or, at least mine. Imagine a diamond bigger than any other diamond. More priceless than a hundred diamonds put together! I thought it was a legend, but I saw it myself! And they don't call it 'Master Emerald' for nothing! The thing was freakin' huge!"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Shadow claimed as they exited the temple.

His and Rouge's ears perked as soon as they did so, as a combined wind rushed throughout the entire zone. In one direction, grass and leaves blew, as if some higher-being blew upon them all. Shadow felt a shiver run up and down his spine; something had connected with him. Looking down to his hand, he felt a rush of energy flow through his mitts. Wherever he was, he felt _stronger_.

The Black Wind's shoes ignited, and he took off into the distance. Rouge – who was surprised by this sudden action – flapped her wings then took off in chase of him. The hedgehog skated down the hills before them, staring around to the massive mushrooms they passed.

With his fleeting moments of attention being shifted, Shadow almost didn't notice the sudden cliff he was in danger of falling over. Skidding to a halt right at the edge, his red eyes stared beyond to the massive zone he and Rouge were tasked with traversing. Rouge's wings opened up wide to slow her trek, as she came to a halt right at her partner's back.

"Now this looks promising," Rouge stated as she gazed into the massive forest mixed with stones of dead temples, "If we weren't so pressed for time, I'd be searching for time."

"Good thing we _are_ pressed for time then," Shadow playfully snided, his red eyes gazing to the distance while Rouge merely pouted, "Do you see that?"

Far beyond where they stood, in the greatest distance which could be only described as the zone's edge, a beam of light shot into the sky. If they followed a steady pace – as in, not being attacked by any Badniks or the like – they'd get there in a few minutes. Meaning, it would likely take them a good half-hour before they got there. And this was proven relatively quickly.

Beneath Shadow and Rouge's feet, robotic butterflies appeared. These small beings formed a large cloud of bugs, which came swarming after them. With a mere thrust of his hand and grunt from his mouth, Shadow fired a blast of pure energy towards the school of bugs. Said blast detonated in the center of the Badniks, destroying them all quickly.

Shadow smirked at the sight, not paying attention to the large object currently barreling towards him. He turned around too late, being smacked by a giant mushroom top of all things. It sent him over the cliff, and eventually pressed him into the earth far below. Eventually, he pushed the mushroom off of his body, to which a certain bat landed beside him.

"Having fun yet?" Rouge asked in a mocking manner, her hand out to grab his.

"Shut up..." he replied as he took said hand.

As soon as he did so however, the mushroom's around them revealed themselves. Instead of being natural fungi, these were Badniks in themselves. With ease, they sent their mushroom tops flying towards the two mobians, who leaped away just in time. Spinning in a ball, Shadow slammed into one mushroom, while Rouge kicked another.

Shadow's eyes shifted forward, noticing a massive machine close by. A machine made of wood and steel, with a massive drill burrowing into the ground. The Black Wind approached the machine and stared at it, realizing it was some sort of construction vehicle. In fact – in this area alone – there were multiple trees torn down.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" Rouge asked as she walked up beside him, "Something got your tongue?"

Shadow didn't reply however, instead looking up to the massive canopies up above. In the trees high up, vines and wood connected like virtual highways. Mushroom Hill Zone was didn't have a set ground of topography; having dirt and soil high above, as well as far below.

Grabbing onto one of the drill machine's handles, the hedgehog pulled down. It pulled up a notch. Pulling down again, the machine once again moved up a notch. He began pulling up and up, sliding up further and further, with Rouge watching.

"I don't think now is the time to start working out, Shadow!"

Rolling his eyes, he opted to ignore her as he continued moving up further and further the zone. Shadow eventually came to a higher level of the zone, his eyes immediately meeting pink boot. He looked up to see Rouge again, who playfully giggled as she handed him her hand. He took it quickly. One of these days, he was going to figure out how she seemingly moved faster than him, sometimes.

Air shoes ignited again, Shadow shot forward like a bullet, Rouge at his side. Gliding through the forest-themed zone, the two came to yet another cliff; higher than the last in fact. With this vantage point, Shadow peered ahead to the beam of energy flowing in the distance. Honestly, they didn't appear any closer now than they were the first time.

Shadow quickly leaped from his vantage point, landing on a mushroom top below. The fungi bounced however, propelling him skyward, and causing him to loose his sense of direction. Flying into another mushroom top, it flung him in another direction. And now he was having flashbacks to Carnival Night Zone.

His air shoes flaring, Shadow brought himself to a halt in mid-air. His red eyes moved down to the mushrooms below as he began to slowly descend upon them. Rouge fluttered to his side, while metallic port holes on the ground suddenly opened. Coming out of the manholes appeared blue mechanical, mole-like creatures. Holding stylized rifles in their hands, they glared up to Shadow and Rouge, and fired upon them.

The bullets which rained near them struck Rouge in the wing, making her drop. Reacting quickly, Shadow dove for his ally. His arms scooped beneath her frame quickly, and he came to a halt right on the ground. Rifles in hands, those mole-like Badniks pulled back out of their holes right behind them. But Shadow wasn't having any of it.

"Chaos Spear!" he shouted as he sent a yellow blast their way, destroying one and scaring the other two, "Dammit... Rouge, are you okay?"

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine," she replied as she touched the area on her wing which was shot, wincing upon doing so, "It... merely nicked me, though. I'll be fine... probably wont be flying much for a few thought..."

"It's alright," Shadow replied as he nodded, "Let's get moving..."

It appeared as if they wouldn't be able to avoid danger however, as a gloomy shadow drifted overhead. Shadow stared up to see a long mechanical beast fly over the two; it's head spherical, its body long and spiky. This being with a familiar look to a dragonfly locked its eyes upon the two. Tail jerking up, it shot down with a thrust, attempting to stab the two. But Shadow – with Rouge still in his arms – easily dodged the blast. He shot left and right, before throwing Rouge up, then shot ahead in a ball. The strike crushed the Badniks head easily, causing it to ripple out with explosions. He returned right in time to catch Rouge as she fell.

"Was all that really necessary?" she asked in a sarcastic manner.

"I dunno... got us where we needed to go though, didn't it?" Shadow replied with a smirk.

Finally he put Rouge down, and they were off again. Running ahead as fast as they could, the two slid straight through a cave. Upon coming out the other end of the cave, they were hit with a most incredible heat. So much heat, Shadow slid down to a halt, his eyes growing wide. Just a few moments ago, it was bearable; nice even. A cool wind as he ran made him feel relatively relaxed, but now the heat index jumped to an insane level.

"Wow... it's soooo _hot!_ " Rouge exclaimed as she fanned herself with her hand.

"What... the hell?" he remarked at such a feeling, "It feels like the middle of Summer! In fact..." he stared around more, "It _looks_ like the middle of Summer."

The mushrooms had changed slightly, most of them appearing to be at full life. Flowers and grass was stronger as well, with them being properly ready for anything. It wasn't that much different, but the zone had changed with the heat's sudden increase.

With his head shaking, Shadow figured it was best to simply muscle through it all. He darted forward with his shoes ablaze, Rouge running right behind him. Even running at full speed didn't make the intense heat feel any better.

Red eyes glancing up, Shadow's eyes befell the beam in the far distance. It looked to be a little closer than before, though his eyes could have been playing tricks on him. With a sudden burst of speed, he and Rouge dashed into a wide forest clearing. Many trees had been cut down, with various tire tracks laid in the ground. Shadow skidded to a halt in the midst of things; Rouge also.

"Where... I guess we know where the Doctor got all of his raw materials for his Badniks," Shadow commented as he crossed his arms.

"I don't get it," Rouge retorted, "Knuckles appears to be the kind of guy who hates this kind of stuff..." she shrugged her shoulders, "What's he doing letting some fat Eggman run around and tear through his island like this? He's made it pretty clear he doesn't want us here."

"Dr. Robotnik has a silver tongue," Shadow answered, "He was able to worm his way into everyone's heart on South Island... I wouldn't be too surprised if he did the same way to Knuckles... it doesn't look like the echinda has much interaction with outside forces anyway..."

Rouge nodded, when the sound of thrust engines echoed above them. Both mobians looked up, then leaped away just in time to dodge...

 _VLASH!_

An axe. It fell right where they once stood, creating a sizable split in the earth. Shadow and Rouge looked up, their eyes falling upon a machine far bigger than the two of them. A gold and black being that appeared vaguely humanoid. Well, as humanoid as one can get when missing its entire lower torso. Its head was cylindrical and silver, with two golden eyes. Its body, bulky and massive, with engines on its back to keep it afloat.

Eggman Industries latest and greatest line in deforestation; the Hei Hou. Golden axe in hand, its perfectly capable of tearing through as many trees in under thirty minutes, that would take chainsaws and machines days.

The Hei Hou pulled back, glaring down upon the two mobians it just attempted to decapitate. Brandishing its blade like a weapon, its engines pushed forward, and the machine flew into reverse. Growling, Shadow immediately chased the mighty Badnik, leaving Rouge to throw her hands up in a 'why bother' fashion. She chased him down as well, while the Hei Hou swung its blade.

The axe tore into the side of a tree, sending a massive chunk of wood flying the two mobian's way. Shadow quickly leaped onto the wood panel, then propelled himself even higher above that.

"Chaos! Spear!"

He fired a straight ray of light directly at the machine, the blast bouncing harmlessly off of its chest. Rolling his eyes at such a sight, he opted instead to curl into a blast. Shooting forward, Shadow slammed into Hei Hou's chest, the impact throwing it away.

The Badnik's thrusters brought it to a stop, it twirling its axe shortly after. Those boosters pushed forward, allowing it to dash suddenly and quickly. In doing so, the Hei Hou delivered a powerful headbutt, striking Shadow and sending him away. Quickly, its optics darted around, in search of its second target. Said second target suddenly struck it in the face with a kick.

Hei Hou's head spun around in place, while Rouge landed on the ground. Wincing, the pain in her wing nearly drove her to stop. Ignoring it however, she was able to dodge a sudden slash from the Hei Hou's axe. She darted to a tree, climbing upon it quickly. The Hei Hou pulled towards her, swinging its axe, but missing. Instead, it tore into the tree's side, severing it straight in half. The bat smirked.

Pulling back, Rouge's wings began flapping. With both legs, she struck the tree that was beginning to fall. In doing so, she caused it to fall back onto Hei Hou instead of to the side. But all that flapping of her wings made the pain to unbearable, and Rouge dropped.

Just to land in Shadow's timely hands.

"Hm... when did _demons_ start saving people, handsome?"

"Whatever..."

With an impressive push, Hei Hou tossed the tree off of its body. It fell to the side, leaving the Badnik hovering above. A sizable dent laid on its body, caused by the tree which fell on it. Hei Hou swung its axe around once again, slamming it down where the two stood, yet hitting nothing. Its optics darted around the area in search of the two, only to hear yelling from above. Looking up, its eyes met feet.

Both Shadow and Rouge slammed onto the Hei Hou's head together, sending it flying into its own body. While Rouge leaped off, Shadow tossed a red blast of Chaotic energy inside before leaping off as well. The two landed behind the Hei Hou, while it dropped its axe. A red energy began surging throughout its entire body, while Shadow snapped his fingers; that red energy suddenly expanded.

A wicked explosion roared out of the Hei Hou's body, sending pieces of metal and shrapnel flying in all directions. The battle now over, Shadow swiped his hand against his head. The distance had become a blurred vision thanks to the heat in the area; it was visible.

"Hah... ha... haa... let's get out of here," Shadow said as he turned around, facing the distance.

Rouge merely nodded, and the two were zooming away.

 _Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1_.

The two ran along the zone, zooming down a hill which headed straight toward the eerie beam of light in the distance. However, as the two slid down the hill, they came to a mighty temple. The doors were closed shut, and it forced the two to stop. Shadow peered at the sight as he slid up, calling Rouge over with his hand. Together, their hands pressed upon the doors in order to open them. They had no idea what laid on the other end.

Knuckles' ears perked, listening to the two on the other end. He watched as the door slid open ever so barely, as the two attempted to make their ways through. Amateurs; he could easily knock the door open with one punch! What they lacked for in strength however, they easily made up for with speed and resilience. It was only the beginning of this week they showed up, and yet they had already made it so far; dropped the Death Egg and even activating a Super Emerald. He couldn't underestimate them.

"Almost there, Rouge," he heard the Black Wind say, "Just a little bit further!"

"All this manual labor is your work, Shadow," she retorted, "I'm – UGH! – sick of it!"

Knuckles' hands slid against the wall, where a switch laid. There were many traps and secret passage ways all over the island, and the echidna knew them all. This was just one in over one _-hundred._

Knuckles pressed the button.

Shadow's ears perked as he pushed on the door, stopping and confusing Rouge.

"What's wrong, Shadow?"

"Did you... hear that?" he replied.

"Uh... Shadow... your quills..."

"Uh... Rouge... your hair..."

Both things were steadily flowing up, thanks to a powerful gust of air that blew under their feet. Those winds increased, becoming incredibly turbulent and strong. Shadow suddenly slipped and began falling skyward, though he clung to the dirt with his hands. Eyes wide, he could only wonder what the hell was going on. The same with Rouge; she clung to the dirt with her hands as tightly as she could, less she too be blown away by the growing winds.

"This... forest... is... weird!" Shadow stated.

"You're... telling... me!"

Before they could figure out anything about the situation, the duo were blown away. Wind and sound surrounded them, as they were flung sky-high, and sent twirling like objects in the wind. With all the sound and all the foliage roaring around them, they were blinded and disoriented; making it virtually impossible for the duo to figure out where they were and where they were going. That is, until...

 _POW! POW!_

Shadow raised his head, a powerful ache thumping through it. He rubbed his temples in pain, struggling to get up onto his knees. Likewise for Rouge, who rived in pain on her back.

"Talk about a blow job," she remarked.

"Is that really necessary? Really?"

Shaking his head, Shadow's eyesight finally adjusted after such a pounding. What he saw surprised him. The grass was no longer green, but a brown. Multiple hues of brown – from gold to red – littered the ground bit by bit. Not only that, but the temperature in the air was not that burning heat it was earlier. It was colder, bringing a shiver to Shadow's spine.

"Autumn?" Shadow commented as he put two and two together, "Is it... Autumn?"

"I feels like it," Rouge answered as she gazed around, "This is a weird Zone. It reminds me of Dust Hill Zone over at West Side Island. Remember? Remember how it switched between a desert and a snowstorm? The weather is all kinds of screwy in this place..."

"And I think I know why," Shadow answered as he stood up, crossing his arms over one another, "Whatever that beam of energy shooting in the sky is, I know it has something to do with this..."

His air shoes flaring, Shadow dashed along the zone, throwing up dead foliage in his wake. Slipping up a ramp in the far distance, the Black Wind and his partner bounced off the heads of mushrooms, giving them the appropriate height to leap over dangers far below. From within bushes, a tall chicken-like machine appeared. Standing on a pole, a red sack on its throat bulged as it sucked in air. Right as Shadow and Rouge passed by, the bird blew a strong gust of wind their way.

It blew the two away, sending them flailing into a pit. Wings spread wide, Rouge glided to a wall and stuck her hands in, while Shadow continued to dip inside. The Black Wind landed on another mushroom, launching himself up towards another cliff. On said cliff, he met up with a Badnik. Said Badnik being that dragonfly-like machine from before.

Tail hiking up, it jabbed forward in an attempt to stab Shadow straight through. Dodging the strike, he reached out and crushed the machine with his hand. As the flames from such a crush began to fall in his fingers, Shadow's eyes stared ahead to the entrance of a cave. Mushroom Hill Zone is such a weird place.

His air shoes flaring, he darted for the cave, as Rouge ran right up behind them. Entering the coolness of the cave, they blew through to the other side, where Shadow immediately slipped. Traction failed him; he found it near impossible to keep himself up right. Foot slipping, the Black Wind fell face-first into the icy, _snow-covered_ ground. And he slid ahead a few good yards, before finally coming to a halt.

The hedgehog laid there, seemingly defeated, his face in the snow-laden grass. Shortly thereafter, a certain bat came skating beside him on the soles of her heals. With grace and ease, she skated circles around her friend, before leaping up like a ballerina, and landing on one foot precisely.

"Perfection," Rouge stated as she halted beside her friend, he remained one with the ground.

"Everything's going good, Shadow?" the bat asked of him, before Shadow pulled himself up.

His face looked oddly normal, though Rouge giggled. Knowing her friend well, she could tell he was at his most angriest at this point in time. Shadow – still saying nothing – stood up then dusted snow and grass off his face and body. Cracking the bones in his neck, he began walking forward towards the distance.

"Let's move..." he said without a moment's hesitation, making Rouge curtsy.

"Okay. _Handsome_..." she replied.

As one may suspect, this section of the zone was clad in snow and ice. First through Spring, then through Summer, before Fall, and now Winter. The bat and hedgehog had experience first hand four seasons all in one day, on the beauty of Angel Island.

Mushrooms were a glowing green, trees lacked their foliage, and Shadow was running through it all. His red eyes focused on the beam that tore into the sky. He was now in the same act, the same section as that beam, and he could see it more clearly. The skies swirled around in a vortex, as the beam of light tore into the heavens. The lightning coursed through the heavens, and the winds suddenly increased.

Shadow began sliding back, as said wind started flowing into him. Snow began to fall at great speeds, pelting his body and making him growl. Rouge too felt the pain, as she lifted her arm to block the snow from her face. As they crossed the fields, Badniks shot out through the ground with guns armed.

Bullets rained down upon their position, missing just barely. Shadow countered with a Chaos Spear, flinging it and penetrating the mole-like Badnik square in the head. More Badniks appeared; more dangerous kinds. The Dragonfly Badnik flew towards them, blade stabbing to kill. Rouge kicked one, while Shadow struck another. The snow began to bury them up to their knees, but the Black Wind was having none of it.

"Chaos... BLAST!" he announced, a shock-wave of red energy ripping form his body, and destroying everything in a few yards radius.

With the snow briefly deflected, Shadow grabbed a hold of Rouge's hand. Settling his eyes for the beam that glowed in the distance, he zoomed off like a rocket. The two delve down an snowy knoll, then flew up the next hill over. Said hill also held the beam's origin point.

A weird blue machine, with a radar dish at the very top. Said radar dish emitted the beam of light the two had been following up to this point. As they approached it, a higher number of Badniks appeared around them. Dragonflies, Butterdroid, Madmoles, Mushmeanies, Cluckoid; all the Badniks in the zone appeared around them.

"Uh, Shadow...?" Rouge asked as she noticed her partner turning red.

"No... more... GAAAAAMMMMEEESSSS!"

A wicked red wave tore from his body, crashing into each and every Badnik and returning them to scrap and metal. The wave of destruction wiped them from the islands face, sprinkling all their burned husks to the ground. After such an attack, Shadow pulled back in, with Rouge gazing upon him with an eyebrow raised.

"Uh... Sh-Shadow, are you okay?" the bat asked of her partner, making him glance back, "I mean... aren't you tired? That's two Chaos Blasts; you're usually tired after just one..."

"I know," Shadow answered as he stared into the palm of his hand, opening and closing it, "But... it feels like... I have a Chaos Emerald with me."

"But you don't have a Chaos Emerald with you.

"I know..."

Shadow walked up to the radar dish, its light flaring into his eye. Charging up a Chaos Spear, he came to fully realized how much energy thrived through his body. He hadn't slacked up on his powers, and yet he still felt energized.

"Chaos... LANCE!"

He charged up a red blast at maximum power, it colliding with the radar dish. The blast melded with the steel, surging it with its powerful red energies. A sudden explosion rang out from the radar dish, destroying it. The beam of light no longer being produced, faded into the skies above. Meanwhile, the explosion continued to roar. From the skies, a blinding light echoed out. The clouds vanished and the weather began to change, while Shadow and Rouge covered their eyes. When it was all said and done, the grass was green, the skies were blue, and the weather had returned to normal.

It was Spring again.

"A weather manipulation device. Cool," Rouge commented as Shadow walked up to and checked the radar dish, "I think G.U.N. would love to hear about this when I get back."

"Oh... actually talking about work?" Shadow replied as he looked over his shoulder towards his partner, "That's a change."

"And what do you do for a job?"

"My Uncle Chuck runs a dinner... I help out occasionally," Shadow stated.

The ground rumbled suddenly, silencing the two of them. Shadow stared down to the ground, watching as it broke beneath his feet. Leaping back, Shadow watched as a mighty blue machine tore from under his feet.

Introducing the newest line in the Eggman Industries, the Weather Mobile. Ever wanted to grow your fruits and vegetables out of season, with the Weather Mobile, that's more than possible. With a functional radar dish, the Weather Mobile is capable of changing the seasons in any act of any zone you may be located.

And, of course, if a certain red hedgehog and white bat appeared, its more than capable of _destroying_ them.

The Weather Mobile was large, blue, pear-shaped, and with an Egg Mobile attached to the center. The machine had a single optic, which quickly locked onto the two mobians below, before its thrust engines pointed forward. Moving on the retreat, the Weather Mobile began to escape the two. Four mechanical tentacles protruded from the back, a ray cannon at the tips of each tendril.

"I've read too many things on the internet to know where this is going," Rouge commented as she rolled her eyes "Shadow, go and get rid of it; I'm not lifting one hand."

"Easy enough for me," the hedgehog replied before rushing for the machine as it flew off.

The Black Wind skated down the massive plain, chasing after the Weather Mobile. The tendrils fired laser after laser upon after Shadow, forcing him to dart left and right as he dodged them. As he chased the machine, the hedgehog charged in a Chaos Spear and flung it. The blast struck the Weather Mobile in the face-plate, the collision being strong enough to push the beast back.

More beams shot from the machine's tendrils, barely missing Shadow as it aimed for his feet. He leaped up high to dodge the attack, curling into a ball in midair. His body turning a yellow color, he shot forward like a bullet, striking the Weather Mobile in its optic.

The machine was frazzled, but not defeated. With a sudden thrust of its engines, it pulled back even further, making Shadow bit his lip. Increasing his speed, the Black Wind chased down the machine. However, the ground began to quake. Poles moved up through the ground on the sides of the pathway, making Shadow look around to them. Further down the natural runway, the poles shot spiked barbs between one another.

"That's... just heavenly..." Shadow bemoaned, before flying ahead at high-speeds, regardless of the dangers.

The Weather Mobile shot lasers at him, but Shadow remained on the move. Darting left and right, he came to the first spiked barb. The hedgehog ducked down though, sliding under the trap just in the nick of time. However, a sudden laser blast before him triggered an explosion, sending him skyward. Shadow flew up, his arms flailing, but quickly regained moment. As he spun into a ball, the Weather Mobile fired a shot with precise aim. However, a sudden flicker echoed from Shadow's body, deflecting the blast and sending it skyward.

Shadow landed after, then took off like a rocket towards his enemy. Flying higher than the traps to avoid them itself, the Weather Mobile continued firing blast after blast towards its enemy. Gritting with annoyance at the situation, Shadow figured now was the time to end it. Quickly leaping onto one such pole with a spiked barb, the hedgehog leaped forward. Spinning in the air, he homed in on the Weather Mobile's main unit. Slamming upon it feet first, Shadow's shoes flared with life, setting the machine ablaze as he leaped off.

The Weather Mobile continued to emit flames as it flew off, fanning itself in an attempt to douse the fires. Shadow merely smiled.

 _BAM!_

The Weather Mobile slammed into a mighty tree, ripping into a wicked explosion. Shadow kept on running, traveling into a tunnel that bore through the tree. Behind him, the Weather Mobile continued to explode, before dropping to the ground in flames.

Shadow kicked up his shoes as he came out the other side of the tree's tunnel, safe as the Weather Mobile met its end. Fingers brushing against his chest, he dusted off petals of grass and dirt he gained from the fight.

"Hmph," he said with a smirk, "Ultimate victory..."

"Enjoyed yourself?" a certain bat's voice rang.

Shadow stared up, his eyes falling upon Rouge. She descended slowly upon him with her wings flapping gracefully, making Shadow scoff as he crossed his arms.

"I thought your wing was nicked," he stated, "What's all this?"

"Remember what I told you on Hill Top Zone?" the bat asked, "I tend to get hurt on my own little adventures without you. While this hurts now..." she rubbed her wing, "It isn't much..."

"Lovely..."

 _VVVVVVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMM!_

The tree tops ruffled, as a powerful wind hushed the zone. Shadow and Rouge stared around to it all, as the ground began shaking beneath their feet. Looking up, the two mobians' eyes befell a machine hovering just above the zone. Where was it all during all of their troubles; it appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

A mighty airship, with various weapons and machines on the sides and surely as well on the inside. It reminded Shadow and Rouge of the Wing Fortress from West Side Island, and more importantly, the air ship that dropped them into Ice Cap Zone. Well, Shadow anyway; he still has no idea how Rouge got into the zone.

"Shadow," Rouge called, eyebrow raised, "You've got that look again..."

"You're right, I do," Shadow replied as he suddenly ran off towards the machine, causing Rouge to follow him.

"What are you going to do, Shadow?" the bat asked, as she ran up behind him, "Just chase after it?"

"Of course not," he said as his hand suddenly wrapped around her waist, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Leaping into the sky, Shadow and Rouge both flared a green color. Then, in a blinding flash of light, the hedgehog and bat vanished into thin air, leaving the zone silent without them.

For not too long.

The red echidna stood on a hill overlooking the plains, his purple eyes sliding up to the machine above. The mighty airship drifted calmly, even though it was incredibly loud. His hand on his chin, Knuckles rubbed it in deep thought. Dropping his hand, he picked up the device on his hip.

"Knuckles here... there on the Flying Battery..."

"I see... then time is of the essence. Knuckles, Ivo has informed me Chaos' Egg was slightly cracked in the fall. We are doing everything we can to seal it back up but... if Shadow and Rouge find the egg, they _will_ hatch it," he glanced away, gritting his teeth, "Look... I know you don't trust Ivo fully. But... you can trust _me_... Knuckles... it's time you revealed the location of the Hidden Palace Zone to us. With your help, we can use the Master Emerald to seal up Chaos' Egg completely. It will not hatch... please, you have to help us. Please..."

"Yes... I... dammit... I understand..." he glared ahead, "I'm heading for Lava Reef Zone."

"Okay... we will try to defeat Shadow and Rouge on the Flying Battery but... we can only try..."

"Only try... only try..."

 _CLICK!_

Maria's blue eyes shined, as she pulled away from her screen. In the dark room, she sat up straight, her chair turning to face another. A man sitting at a chair at the helm of this cockpit, glaring out the window towards the forest far down below, and the skies high above. Man in his brown business suit, red tie and black slacks, rose his hand to his mustache, stroking it gently.

"Tell me," the doctor said, "Are they here?"

"Yes, doctor, they are here," the blonde behind him answered with a nod.

"Good..." the doctor's eyes gleamed red, "I'd hate to miss out on the _last_ chance to see my foe. And of Knuckles?"

"He's willing to lead us to the Master Emerald."

"Good... good..." he smiled, his twisted smile stretching out far, "Maria... operation _Doomsday_ has started! We'll take this planet by storm!"

 _Shadow and Rouge have entered Flying Battery Zone_.

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Ya'know, for a second there, I wasn't going to write a 'Maverick Talks' section. But I thought I had something cool to talk about briefly._

 _First off, it's nice to have Maria and Robotnik pop up in a chapter again. I mean, yeah, it was clear they survived, but we still went two chapters without them making a physical appearance. And yet, despite the Death Egg dropping again, they're up to their old tricks. What's all this with Chaos' Egg though? I've been hinting at it for the longest, but I think you guys have already figured it out. Nonetheless..._

 _Also, the chapter's title 'Mushroom Valley Zone', is a reference to Mushroom Hill Zone's beta name. Ya'see, if you put in the stage select code in Sonic 3, you see some zones that isn't in Sonic 3; Flying Battery Zone, Sandopolis Zone, and Mushroom Valley Zone. Remember, Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles were once one full game, before needing to be split in order to meet some deadline, ya'know? So Mushroom Hill Zone being called Mushroom Valley Zone in Sonic 3 is obvious a beta element._

 _So, technically, I just went over a beta zone. Ha, ha! But alas, I digress too much._

 _Next chapter, we head to Flying Battery Zone, which has one of the most kick-ass zone themes ever in it._

 _Ever._

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


End file.
